Sunday, 22 March 2026

Exercise (5.2).17

Let $\{r_1, r_2, r_3, \ldots , r\phi(n)\}$ be a set of reduced residue system modulo $n$.

Show that $r_j^{−1} \equiv r_k \pmod n$ where $1 \le j, k \le \phi (n)$.

[The inverse of any residue in the reduced residue system is also in this system.]


By definition, $\gcd(r_j, n)=1$. This means we can use Euler's Theorem, which tells us

$$ r_j^{\phi(n)} \equiv 1 \pmod n $$

Factorising,

$$ r_j \times r_j^{\phi(n)-1} \equiv 1 \pmod n $$

And so the multiplicative inverse of $r_j$ is

$$r_j^{-1}=r_j^{\phi(n)-1}$$

Now, $\gcd(r_j,n)=1$ implies $\gcd(r_j^m,n)=1$ for any natural number $m$, including $m=\phi(n)=1$. That is

$$ \gcd(r_j^{\phi(n)-1}, n)=1 $$

This is membership criteria for being in the reduced residue system modulo $n$.

This means the inverse of any residue in the reduced residue system is also in the system.