Quadratic Residue, Legendre Symbol and its Properties

Academic year 2022-2024

Program: M.Sc Mathematics Semester- 2(Evening)

Subject: Number Theory
Submitted by:
Name Roll Number
Nouman Yousaf mcs2200378
Abdullah Alijah mcs2200388
Habiba Iftkhar mcs2200023
Waleed Akram mcs220008
Waheed Ali mcs2200024
Tanveer Jafar mcs2200373
Rehan Ahmed mcs2200390

Submitted to:
Dr. M. Umer Saleem
Department of Mathematics
Division of Science and Technology
University of Education, Lahore Township
Outline:
 Quadratic Residue
 Definition
 Example
 Legendre Symbol
 Definition
 Example

 Properties of Legendre Symbol

Quadratic Residue
Let 𝑝 be an odd prime and 𝑔𝑐𝑑 (𝑎, 𝑝) = 1.If the quadratic congruence 𝑥 2 ≡ 𝑎 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
has a solution, then 𝑎 is said to be quadratic residue of 𝑝.Otherwise, 𝑎 is called a quadratic non-
residue of 𝑝.
If 𝑎 ≡ 𝑏 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) then 𝑎 is quadratic residue of 𝑝 if and only if 𝑏 is a quadratic residue of 𝑝.

Example
Find all quadratic residues and quadratic non-residues of 7.
Solution:
As we know that the complete residue system of 7 is 𝑥 = {1,2,3,4,5,6}
Now we want to check that which one is quadratic residue
12 ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
22 ≡ 4 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
32 ≡ 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
42 ≡ 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
52 ≡ 4 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
62 ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
now
12 ≡ 62 ≡ 1(𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
22 ≡ 52 ≡ 4(𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
32 ≡ 42 ≡ 2(𝑚𝑜𝑑 7)
hence
Quadratic residue of 7 are {1,2,4}
Quadratic non-residue of 7 are {3,5,6}
Legendre Symbol
Let 𝑝 be an odd prime and let 𝑔𝑐𝑑(𝑎, 𝑝) = 1. The Legendre symbol (𝑎/𝑝) is define by

1 if 𝑎 is the quadratic residue of 𝑝

𝑎
(𝑝) = {−1 if 𝑎 is the quadratic non residue of 𝑝
0 if 𝑝|𝑎

Here 𝑎 is numerator and 𝑝 is denominator of the symbol (𝑎/𝑝). and other standard notation for
𝑎
Legendre symbol is ( 𝑝 ) 𝑜𝑟 (𝑎|𝑝) .

Example
If the prime, 𝑝 = 13 in particular. Using the Legendre symbol express 1,2,3, … … . ,12 .

(1/13) = (3/13) = (4/13) = (9/13) = (10/13) = (12/13) = 1

and
(2/13) = (5/13) = (6/13) = (7/13) = (8/13) = (11/13) = − 1

Properties
Let 𝑝 be an odd prime and let 𝑎 and 𝑏 be integers that are respectively prime to 𝑝 .Then the
Legendre symbol has following properties:

a) if 𝒂 ≡ 𝒃 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝒑), then (𝒂/𝒑) = (𝒃/𝒑)

Proof
Given 𝑎 ≡ 𝑏 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
now 𝑥 2 ≡ 𝑎 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝑥 2 ≡ 𝑏 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝑎 𝑏
(𝑝)=(𝑝)=1 If 𝑎, 𝑏 is a quadratic residue of 𝑝

𝑎 𝑏
( 𝑝 ) = ( 𝑝 ) = −1 If 𝑎, 𝑏 is a quadratic non-residue of 𝑝
 (𝒑−𝟏)
𝒃) (𝒂/𝒑) ≡ 𝒂 𝟐 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝒑)
Proof

By using result that “Let 𝑝 be an odd prime and gcd(𝑎, 𝑏) = 1. then 𝑎 is a quadratic residue or
non-residue of 𝑝 according to whether
(𝑝−1) (𝑝−1)
𝑎 2 ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) 𝑜𝑟 𝑎 2 ≡ −1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) "
𝑎
since (𝑝) = 1 if 𝑎 is the quadratic residue of p
(𝑝−1)
𝑎 2 ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
(𝑝−1)
⇒ (𝑎/𝑝) = 𝑎 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝒂𝟐
𝒄) ( )=𝟏
𝒑

Proof
consider 𝑥 2 ≡ 𝑎2 ( 𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
it is trivially true for 𝑥 = 𝑎 .
which implies that given congruence is always solvable.
𝑎2
⇒ ( )=1
𝑝

𝒂𝒃 𝒂 𝒃
𝒅) ( ) = ( )( )
𝒑 𝒑 𝒑
Proof
𝑎𝑏 (𝑝−1)
( ) ≡ (𝑎𝑏) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝑝
(𝑝−1) (𝑝−1)
≡ (𝑎) 2 (𝑏) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
(𝑝−1) (𝑝−1)
≡ ((𝑎) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)).( (𝑏) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝑎𝑏 𝑎 𝑏
( ) ≡ ( ).( ) (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
𝑝 𝑝 𝑝
 𝑎𝑏 𝑎 𝑏
⇒ ( ) = ( ).( )
𝑝 𝑝 𝑝

(𝒑−𝟏)
𝟏 −𝟏
e) ( ) = 𝟏
𝒑
𝒂𝒏𝒅 (
𝒑
) = (−𝟏) 𝟐

Proof
(𝑝−1)
1
using (b) that (𝑝) ≡ (1) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)

1 1
(𝑝) ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) ⇒ (𝑝) ≡ 1

(𝑝−1)
1
now (− 𝑝) ≡ (−1) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝)
(2𝑘)
≡ (−1) 2 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) : 𝑝 − 1 = 2𝑘
1 1
(− 𝑝) ≡ (−1)𝑘 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 𝑝) ⇒ (− 𝑝) = (−1)𝑘

result from this property:

1
(− 𝑝) = 1 ; 𝑝 ≡ 1 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 4)

or
1
(− 𝑝) = −1 ; 𝑝 ≡ 3(𝑚𝑜𝑑 4)

𝒂𝒃𝟐 𝒂 𝒃𝟐 𝒂
𝒇) ( ) = ( )( )=( )
𝒑 𝒑 𝒑 𝒑
Proof
𝒂𝒃𝟐 𝒂 𝒃𝟐
( ) = ( 𝒑 )( ) since by (d)
𝒑 𝒑

𝑏2
since (by c) ( )=1
𝑝

𝒂𝒃𝟐 𝒂
⇒ ( ) = ( 𝒑 ).𝟏
𝒑

𝒂𝒃𝟐 𝒂
( )=(𝒑)
𝒑