MATH 1200 - ASSIGNMENT 4

PAULOS HAILESELASSIE

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Let a, b, and m be integers and suppose that there exist integers r and s for which a ≡ r
mod m, b ≡ s mod m, and 0 ≤ r, s < m. Prove that a ≡ b mod m if and only if r = s.

because the statement is a biconditional statement, to prove it to be true we have to prove

both reading directions of the statement in the form of if then statements.

the forward direction of the statement is ”if a ≡ b mod m then r = s” with the given
information of:

let a, b and m be integers and k be and suppose that there exists integers r and s such
that a r mod m and b ≡ s mod m and 0 ≤ r, s < m

Proof:

first let me explain why r ≡ s (mod m)

and where this comes from. this comes from manipulating the stuff we have given in the
question and using facts about congruence to end up with an expression that we can use for
our proof.

so the information we are given is that a ≡ r (mod m) and b ≡ s (mod m), then by
transitivity a ≡ s (mod m). so since a ≡ s (mod m) (given in question) then by reflexivity
s ≡ a (mod m).

Also since s ≡ a (mod m) and a ≡ r (mod m) then by reflexivity, s ≡ r (mod m). so this
is how I came up with the expression of s ≡ r (mod m) to use in the following proof.

so now, to prove that this direction is correct I will prove that m divides r-s which is
equivalent to saying r ≡ smodm

the reason why I am using multiple representations of modulo is to show that r-s is 0 which
would mean that r and s are equal.

r ≡ smodm

Date: April 9, 2023.

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2 PAULOS HAILESELASSIE

by the definition of modulo we can express the following as a quotient

r − s = mq for some integer q

this also means that we can right r-s as an integer multiple of m

in the question it is given that:

0 ≤ r, s < m which can also be written as

0≤r<m
0≤s<m

so this implies that the difference between r and s would be strictly less than m, which is
expressed as

r−s<m

since r − s < m, this means that the only integer multiple of m that is equal to r-s is 0
so q=0 this is because if r-s is less than m that means that the only other way that we can
express r-s as a multiple of n is either a non-integer or 0, so since q has to be an integer then
q can only be 0, using this information this will give the following equation:

r − s = mq
by substitution of q=0
r − s = m(0)
r−s=0
now rearranging the equation we get:
r=s

therefore we have proved that r = s.

now for the reverse direction:

the reverse direction of the biconditional statement is the following

if r = s and then a ≡ b mod m with the following information given in the question:

a ≡ r mod m, b ≡ s mod m for some integers r,s and m

 MATH 1200 - ASSIGNMENT 4 3

by reflexivity:

if b ≡ s mod m them s ≡ b mod m

from the question it tells that a ≡ r mod m

so if r = s and a ≡ r mod m and s ≡ b mod m then by transitivity it follows that

a ≡ b mod m

so since the forward and reverse reading directions of conditional (if then) statements are
both true, the biconditional statement is true.