Tuesday, 14 October 2025

Exercise (1.1).16

Prove that if $a \mid b$ and $a \mid c$ then $a \mid (b^2− c^2)$.


We're given

$$b = am$$

$$c = an$$

for some integers $m,n$.

We then have

$$ b^2 - c^2 =  a(am^2 - an^2)$$

which means $a \mid (b^2− c^2)$.