Sunday, 12 July 2026

Exercise (7.1).9

Prove Proposition (7.6).


Let's remind ourselves of Proposition (7.6). 

Let $a$ be any integer and $p$ an odd prime, then

$$ a^{\frac{p-1}{2}} \equiv \pm 1 \pmod p $$

provided $p \not \mid a$.


We start with Fermat's Little Theorem (4.1), applicable since $p \not \mid a$,

$$ a^{p-1} \equiv 1 \pmod p $$

Since $p-1$ is even, we have by Proposition (3.14)(b)

$$ a^{\frac{p-1}{2}} \equiv \pm 1 \pmod p $$