Division Algorithm 25

If a = 4 we may decompose the integers into the four families

B0 = {. . . , −8, −4, 0, 4, 8, . . .},

B1 = {. . . , −7, −3, 1, 5, 9, . . .},

B2 = {. . . , −6, −2, 2, 6, 10, . . .},

B3 = {. . . , −5, −1, 3, 7, 11, . . .}.

Therefore any integer will take one of the forms 4k, 4k + 1, 4k + 2 or 4k + 3. Again, any integer of the form 4k + 1 is also of the
form 4t − 3 and any integer of the form 4k + 3 is also of the form 4t − 1.

172 Example Shew that the square of any integer is of the form 4k or of the form 4k + 1. That is, the square of any integer is
either divisible by 4 or leaves remainder 1 upon division by 4.

Solution: If n is even, that is n = 2a, then n2 = (2a)2 = 4a2 , which is of the form 4k. If n is odd, say n = 2t + 1, then
n2 = (2t + 1)2 = 4(t 2 + t) + 1, which is of the form 4k + 1.

173 Example Shew that no integer in the sequence

11, 111, 1111, 11111, . . .

is a perfect square.

Solution: Clearly 11 is not a square, so assume, that an integer of this sequence has n > 2 digits. If n > 2,

11 . . . 1} = |11 .{z
| {z . . 11} 00 + 12 − 1 = 100 · 11
| .{z
. .11} +12 − 1.
n 10 s n−2 10 s n−2 10 s

Hence any integer in this sequence is of the form 4k − 1. By the preceding problem, no integer of the form 4k − 1 can be a
square. This finishes the proof.

174 Example Shew that n2 + 23 is divisible by 24 for infinitely many values of n.

Solution: Observe that n2 + 23 = n2 − 1 + 24 = (n − 1)(n + 1) + 24. Therefore the families of integers n = 24m ± 1, m =
0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . . produce infinitely many values such that n2 + 23 is divisible by 24.

175 Example Shew that the square of any prime greater than 3 leaves remainder 1 upon division by 12.

Solution: If p > 3 is prime, then p is of one of the forms 6k ± 1.

Now,
(6k ± 1)2 = 12(3k2 ± k) + 1,
proving the assertion.

176 Example Prove that if p is a prime, then one of 8p − 1 and 8p + 1 is a prime and the other is composite.

Solution: If p = 3, 8p −1 = 23 and 8p +1 = 25, then the assertion is true for p = 3. If p > 3, then either p = 3k +1 or p = 3k +2.
If p = 3k + 1, 8p − 1 = 24k − 7 and 8p + 1 = 24k − 6, which is divisible by 6 and hence not prime. If p = 3k + 2, 8p − 1 =
24k − 15 is not a prime, .

177 Example Shew that if 3n + 1 is a square, then n + 1 is the sum of three squares.