Section 12 Quadratic Reciprocity

• Gauss’s Lemma
• Orbit of elements in (Z17,*)
Powers 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1
2 4 8 16 15 13 9 1 2 4 8 16 15 13 9 1
3 9 10 13 5 15 11 16 14 8 7 4 12 2 6 1
4 16 13 1 4 16 13 1 4 16 13 1 4 16 13 1
5 8 6 13 14 2 10 16 12 9 11 4 3 15 7 1
6 2 12 4 7 8 14 16 11 15 5 13 10 9 3 1
7 15 3 4 11 9 12 16 10 2 14 13 6 8 5 1
8 13 2 16 9 4 15 1 8 13 2 16 9 4 15 1
9 13 15 16 8 4 2 1 9 13 15 16 8 4 2 1
10 15 14 4 6 9 5 16 7 2 3 13 11 8 12 1
11 2 5 4 10 8 3 16 6 15 12 13 7 9 14 1
12 8 11 13 3 2 7 16 5 9 6 4 14 15 10 1
13 16 4 1 13 16 4 1 13 16 4 1 13 16 4 1
14 9 7 13 12 15 6 16 3 8 10 4 5 2 11 1
15 4 9 16 2 13 8 1 15 4 9 16 2 13 8 1
16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1
Recall that since (a,p)=1 multiplying the least residues of p by a just permutes them.
Since ak1≡ak2 mod p implies k1≡k2 mod p and both k1 and k2 are less than p, gives k1=k2.
This means that the all the rs and ss are distinct. Next observe for any s we have
p>s > (p-1)/2 so 0<p-s<(p-1)/2. Following Gauss we show that r1, …rk, (p-s1), …(p-sg)
are all distinct and since they are all less than or equal to (p-1)/2 they must be exactly
the least residues of p that are less or equal to (p-1)/2.
To see they are distinct, suppose that ri≡ p-sj mod p for some i and j,
then ri +sj ≡0 mod p and ti/a + uj/a ≡ 0 mod p for some ti and uj
which is impossible since both ti and uj are distinct numbers less than or equal to (p-1)/2.
Finally consider the product 1*2*…(p-1)/2 which by the preceding is r1, …rk, (p-s1), …(p-sg).
Thus (p-1)/2 ! = r1* …rk *(p-s1)* …*(p-sg) and since p-s ≡ -s mod p
(p-1)/2 ! ≡ r1*…*rk*(-1)g*s1*…*sg mod p ≡ (p-1)/ 2!*a(p-1)/2(-1)g mod p
But this last congruence can only hold if a(p-1)/2 *(-1)g ≡ 1 mod p. QED
Example 2
x≡ 5 mod 17
Example 2
x≡ 7 mod 23

(p-1)/2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

7* 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77

mod 23 7 14 21 5 12 19 3 10 17 1 8

There are 5 numbers larger than 11 so 7 is a non residue mod 23

Use Gauss’s Lemma to find (2/p)
• We form 2, 4, 6, …,2((p-1)/2) and thus get the even integers less than
or equal to p-1. There are (p-1)/2 such integers we then subtract the
number less than or equal to (p-1)/2.
• Now if (p-1)/2 is odd then (p-1)/4 is not an integer, the number of
integers less than this value is (p-3)/4 so g is (p-1)/2-(p-3)/4 =(p+1)/4
If (p-1)/2 is even then (p-1)/4 is an integer and maps to (p-1)/2 so we
have g is (p-1)/2 –(p-1)/4= (p-1)/4
Example
• Suppose p = 1+8k then (p-1)/4=2k so this is g.
• And (-1)g = 1 so by Gauss’s Lemma (2/p) =1 if p≡ 1 mod 8.
• Suppose p =3 +8k then (p-1)/4 2k +1/2 and thus g= (p+1)/4 = 2k +1
• And (-1)g = -1 so (2/p) =-1
Exercise 4
• Check the cases p≡ 5 mod 8 and p≡ 7 mod 8
• Suppose p = 5+8k then (p-1)/4=2k+1 so this is g.
• And (-1)g = -1 so by Gauss’s Lemma (2/p) =-1 if p≡ 5 mod 8.
• Suppose p =7 +8k then (p-1)/4 2k +6/4 and thus g= (p+1)/4 = 2(k +1)
• And (-1)g = 1 so (2/p) =1 for p ≡ 7 mod 8.
•
Theorem 2
• If p is an odd prime
• (2/p) =1 if p is congruent to 1 or 7 mod 8
• (2/p) = -1 if p is congruent to 3 or 5 mod 8
Theorem 3

2(q-1)/2
Last time we equated products now equate sums

Now we have a formula for the sum of terms in (9) = [(p-1)/2 * (p-1)/2 +1]/2= (p2-1)/8
Since the elements listed in (8) are the same they sum to the same and to

Now if tj denotes the least residue of jq mod p