Wednesday, 12 November 2025

Exercise (3.1).11

(a) Show that if $a$ is an even number and $n$ is a natural number then $a^n$ is also even.

(b) Show that if $a$ is an odd number and $n$ is a natural number then $a^n$ is also odd.


We'll be using Proposition (3.8) that

$$a \equiv b \pmod m \implies a^k \equiv b^k \pmod m$$


(a) If a number is congruent to 0 modulo 2 then it is even.

Using Proposition (3.8),

$$ a \equiv 0 \pmod{2} \implies a^n \equiv 0^n  \equiv 0 \pmod{n}$$

That is, $a^n$ is even. 

Note that $n$ must be greater than 0.


(b) If a number is congruent to 1 modulo 2 then it is odd.

Using Proposition (3.8),

$$ a \equiv 1 \pmod{2} \implies a^n \equiv 1^n  \equiv 1 \pmod{n}$$

That is, $a^n$ is odd.