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Wilson's Theorem
In algebra and number theory, Wilson's theorem states that a natural number ''n'' > 1 is a prime number if and only if the product of all the positive integers less than ''n'' is one less than a multiple of ''n''. That is (using the notations of modular arithmetic), the factorial (n - 1)! = 1 \times 2 \times 3 \times \cdots \times (n - 1) satisfies :(n-1)!\ \equiv\; -1 \pmod n exactly when ''n'' is a prime number. In other words, any number ''n'' is a prime number if, and only if, (''n'' − 1)! + 1 is divisible by ''n''. History This theorem was stated by Ibn al-Haytham (c. 1000 AD), and, in the 18th century, by John Wilson. Edward Waring announced the theorem in 1770, although neither he nor his student Wilson could prove it. Lagrange gave the first proof in 1771. There is evidence that Leibniz was also aware of the result a century earlier, but he never published it. Example For each of the values of ''n'' from 2 to 30, the following table shows the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Algebra
Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary algebra deals with the manipulation of variables (commonly represented by Roman letters) as if they were numbers and is therefore essential in all applications of mathematics. Abstract algebra is the name given, mostly in education, to the study of algebraic structures such as groups, rings, and fields (the term is no more in common use outside educational context). Linear algebra, which deals with linear equations and linear mappings, is used for modern presentations of geometry, and has many practical applications (in weather forecasting, for example). There are many areas of mathematics that belong to algebra, some having "algebra" in their name, such as commutative algebra, and some not, such as Galois theory. The word ''algebra'' is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polynomial
In mathematics, a polynomial is an expression consisting of indeterminates (also called variables) and coefficients, that involves only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and positive-integer powers of variables. An example of a polynomial of a single indeterminate is . An example with three indeterminates is . Polynomials appear in many areas of mathematics and science. For example, they are used to form polynomial equations, which encode a wide range of problems, from elementary word problems to complicated scientific problems; they are used to define polynomial functions, which appear in settings ranging from basic chemistry and physics to economics and social science; they are used in calculus and numerical analysis to approximate other functions. In advanced mathematics, polynomials are used to construct polynomial rings and algebraic varieties, which are central concepts in algebra and algebraic geometry. Etymology The word ''polynomial'' join ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euler's Totient Function
In number theory, Euler's totient function counts the positive integers up to a given integer that are relatively prime to . It is written using the Greek letter phi as \varphi(n) or \phi(n), and may also be called Euler's phi function. In other words, it is the number of integers in the range for which the greatest common divisor is equal to 1. The integers of this form are sometimes referred to as totatives of . For example, the totatives of are the six numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8. They are all relatively prime to 9, but the other three numbers in this range, 3, 6, and 9 are not, since and . Therefore, . As another example, since for the only integer in the range from 1 to is 1 itself, and . Euler's totient function is a multiplicative function, meaning that if two numbers and are relatively prime, then . This function gives the order of the multiplicative group of integers modulo (the group of units of the ring \Z/n\Z). It is also used for defining the RSA e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
P-adic Gamma Function
In mathematics, the -adic number system for any prime number extends the ordinary arithmetic of the rational numbers in a different way from the extension of the rational number system to the real and complex number systems. The extension is achieved by an alternative interpretation of the concept of "closeness" or absolute value. In particular, two -adic numbers are considered to be close when their difference is divisible by a high power of : the higher the power, the closer they are. This property enables -adic numbers to encode congruence information in a way that turns out to have powerful applications in number theory – including, for example, in the famous proof of Fermat's Last Theorem by Andrew Wiles. These numbers were first described by Kurt Hensel in 1897, though, with hindsight, some of Ernst Kummer's earlier work can be interpreted as implicitly using -adic numbers.Translator's introductionpage 35 "Indeed, with hindsight it becomes apparent that a discre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formula For Primes
In number theory, a formula for primes is a formula generating the prime numbers, exactly and without exception. No such formula which is efficiently computable is known. A number of constraints are known, showing what such a "formula" can and cannot be. Formulas based on Wilson's theorem A simple formula is :f(n) = \left\lfloor \frac \right\rfloor (n-1) + 2 for positive integer n, where \lfloor\ \rfloor is the floor function, which rounds down to the nearest integer. By Wilson's theorem, n+1 is prime if and only if n! \equiv n \pmod. Thus, when n+1 is prime, the first factor in the product becomes one, and the formula produces the prime number n+1. But when n+1 is not prime, the first factor becomes zero and the formula produces the prime number 2. This formula is not an efficient way to generate prime numbers because evaluating n! \bmod (n+1) requires about n-1 multiplications and reductions modulo n+1. In 1964, Willans gave the formula :p_n = 1 + \sum_^ \left\lfloor \left(\fra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quadratic Residue
In number theory, an integer ''q'' is called a quadratic residue modulo ''n'' if it is congruent to a perfect square modulo ''n''; i.e., if there exists an integer ''x'' such that: :x^2\equiv q \pmod. Otherwise, ''q'' is called a quadratic nonresidue modulo ''n''. Originally an abstract mathematical concept from the branch of number theory known as modular arithmetic, quadratic residues are now used in applications ranging from acoustical engineering to cryptography and the factoring of large numbers. History, conventions, and elementary facts Fermat, Euler, Lagrange, Legendre, and other number theorists of the 17th and 18th centuries established theorems and formed conjectures about quadratic residues, but the first systematic treatment is § IV of Gauss's ''Disquisitiones Arithmeticae'' (1801). Article 95 introduces the terminology "quadratic residue" and "quadratic nonresidue", and states that if the context makes it clear, the adjective "quadratic" may be dropped. For ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pythagorean Prime
A Pythagorean prime is a prime number of the Pythagorean primes are exactly the odd prime numbers that are the sum of two squares; this characterization is Fermat's theorem on sums of two squares. Equivalently, by the Pythagorean theorem, they are the odd prime numbers p for which \sqrt p is the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle with integer legs, and they are also the prime numbers p for which p itself is the hypotenuse of a primitive Pythagorean triangle. For instance, the number 5 is a Pythagorean prime; \sqrt5 is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs 1 and 2, and 5 itself is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs 3 and 4. Values and density The first few Pythagorean primes are By Dirichlet's theorem on arithmetic progressions, this sequence is infinite. More strongly, for each n, the numbers of Pythagorean and non-Pythagorean primes up to n are approximately equal. However, the number of Pythagorean primes up to n is frequently somewhat smaller tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trial Division
Trial division is the most laborious but easiest to understand of the integer factorization algorithms. The essential idea behind trial division tests to see if an integer ''n'', the integer to be factored, can be divided by each number in turn that is less than ''n''. For example, for the integer , the only numbers that divide it are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12. Selecting only the largest powers of primes in this list gives that . Trial division was first described by Fibonacci in his book ''Liber Abaci'' (1202). Method Given an integer ''n'' (''n'' refers to "the integer to be factored"), the trial division consists of systematically testing whether ''n'' is divisible by any smaller number. Clearly, it is only worthwhile to test candidate factors less than ''n'', and in order from two upwards because an arbitrary ''n'' is more likely to be divisible by two than by three, and so on. With this ordering, there is no point in testing for divisibility by four if the number has already b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computational Complexity Theory
In theoretical computer science and mathematics, computational complexity theory focuses on classifying computational problems according to their resource usage, and relating these classes to each other. A computational problem is a task solved by a computer. A computation problem is solvable by mechanical application of mathematical steps, such as an algorithm. A problem is regarded as inherently difficult if its solution requires significant resources, whatever the algorithm used. The theory formalizes this intuition, by introducing mathematical models of computation to study these problems and quantifying their computational complexity, i.e., the amount of resources needed to solve them, such as time and storage. Other measures of complexity are also used, such as the amount of communication (used in communication complexity), the number of gates in a circuit (used in circuit complexity) and the number of processors (used in parallel computing). One of the roles of computationa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Primality Test
A primality test is an algorithm for determining whether an input number is prime. Among other fields of mathematics, it is used for cryptography. Unlike integer factorization, primality tests do not generally give prime factors, only stating whether the input number is prime or not. Factorization is thought to be a computationally difficult problem, whereas primality testing is comparatively easy (its running time is polynomial in the size of the input). Some primality tests prove that a number is prime, while others like Miller–Rabin prove that a number is composite. Therefore, the latter might more accurately be called ''compositeness tests'' instead of primality tests. Simple methods The simplest primality test is ''trial division'': given an input number, ''n'', check whether it is evenly divisible by any prime number between 2 and (i.e. that the division leaves no remainder). If so, then ''n'' is composite. Otherwise, it is prime.Riesel (1994) pp.2-3 For example, c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Symmetric Group
In abstract algebra, the symmetric group defined over any set is the group whose elements are all the bijections from the set to itself, and whose group operation is the composition of functions. In particular, the finite symmetric group \mathrm_n defined over a finite set of n symbols consists of the permutations that can be performed on the n symbols. Since there are n! (n factorial) such permutation operations, the order (number of elements) of the symmetric group \mathrm_n is n!. Although symmetric groups can be defined on infinite sets, this article focuses on the finite symmetric groups: their applications, their elements, their conjugacy classes, a finite presentation, their subgroups, their automorphism groups, and their representation theory. For the remainder of this article, "symmetric group" will mean a symmetric group on a finite set. The symmetric group is important to diverse areas of mathematics such as Galois theory, invariant theory, the representatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sylow Theorems
In mathematics, specifically in the field of finite group theory, the Sylow theorems are a collection of theorems named after the Norwegian mathematician Peter Ludwig Sylow that give detailed information about the number of subgroups of fixed order that a given finite group contains. The Sylow theorems form a fundamental part of finite group theory and have very important applications in the classification of finite simple groups. For a prime number p, a Sylow ''p''-subgroup (sometimes ''p''-Sylow subgroup) of a group G is a maximal p-subgroup of G, i.e., a subgroup of G that is a ''p''-group (meaning its cardinality is a power of p, or equivalently, the order of every group element is a power of p) that is not a proper subgroup of any other p-subgroup of G. The set of all Sylow p-subgroups for a given prime p is sometimes written \text_p(G). The Sylow theorems assert a partial converse to Lagrange's theorem. Lagrange's theorem states that for any finite group G the order ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
