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I wanted to compute $7^{13} \mod 40$. I showed that $$7^{13} \equiv 2^{13} \equiv 2 \mod 5$$ and $$7^{13} \equiv (-1)^{13} \equiv -1 \mod 8$$.

Therefore, I have that $7^{13} - 2$ is a multiple of $5$, whereas $7^{13} +1$ is a multiple of $8$. I wanted to make both equal, so I solved $-2 + 5k = + 8n$ for natural numbers $n,k$ and found that $n = 9, k = 15$ gave a solution (just tried to make $3 + 8n$ a multiple of $5$. Therefore, I have that $$7^{13} \equiv -73 \equiv 7 \mod 40.$$

Is this correct? Moreover, is there an easier way? (I also tried to used the Euler totient function, but $\phi(40) = 16$, so $13 \equiv -3 \mod 16$, but I did not know how to proceed with this.)

  • 1
    hint :$$7^{2} \mod 40 \equiv49\equiv9\\ 7^{4} \mod 40 \equiv9^2\equiv81\equiv81-2(40)=\equiv1\\ 7^{4k} \mod 40 \equiv1 $$ – 2017-02-17
  • 1
    You can also use the [Chinese remainder theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_remainder_theorem). – 2017-02-17

5 Answers 5

5

Yes, easier, by Fermat/Euler (or directly) $\ \color{}{7^{\large 4}\!\equiv 1}\,$ mod $\,5\,$ and $\,8,\,$ thus $\,5,8\mid 7^{\large 4}\!-1.\,$

Thus $\, {\rm lcm}(5,8)\!=\!40\mid \color{#c00}{7^{\large 4}\!-1}.\,$ So $\ {\rm mod}\ 40\!:\ 7^{\large 12}\!\equiv 7(\color{#c00}{7^{\large 4}})^{\large 3}\equiv 7(\color{#c00}1)^{\large 3}\equiv 7$

Remark $\ $ See Carmichael's Lambda Theorem for a general way to do this (it combines the Euler totient exponents for each prime power more efficiently using lcm, as done implicitly above).

3

You don't necessarily have to use the fact $40=8\times 5$ (but if you do, look up "Chinese remainder theorem".)

Otherwise, you know that

$$7^2\equiv 49\equiv 9\pmod{40}.$$

So

$$7^3\equiv 63\equiv 23\pmod{40},$$

so

$$7^4\equiv 161\equiv 1\pmod{40}.$$

Then

$$7^{13}\equiv 7^{4\times 3}\times 7\equiv 1\times 7\equiv 7\pmod{40}.$$

  • 0
    It’s easy enough to check that $7^4=2401$, maybe even faster than your method. – 2017-02-17
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    I fixed a typo for you, assuming you didn't *really* mean to claim $1\times1\equiv 7$. – 2017-02-17
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    Or more easily $7^4\equiv 9^2\equiv 81\equiv 1\bmod 40$ – 2017-02-17
0

The Carmichael function $\lambda$ is a stronger version of Euler totient function for this purpose which combines different prime factors by $\rm lcm$ rather than simple multiplication, and adjusts higher powers of $2$.

So $\lambda(40) = {\rm lcm}(\lambda(8),\lambda(5)) = {\rm lcm}(2,4) = 4$, and thus the cycle length of $7$ is divisible by $4$. Since $\gcd(7,40)=1$ and $13\equiv 1 \bmod 4$, this immediately gives $7^{13}\equiv 7 \bmod 40$.

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$$\phi(40)=16 \to 7^{16}\equiv 1$$mod 40 $$7^{16}\equiv 1 \\7^{13}7^3\equiv 1\\ 343.7^{13}\equiv 1 \\ (320+23).7^{13}\equiv 1\\ 23.7^{13}\equiv 1\\ 23.7^{13}\equiv 1+40 \equiv 1+80\equiv 1+120\equiv 1+160\\ 23.7^{13}\equiv 161 \\23.7^{13}\equiv 7(23)$$ divide by $23$ , $(23,40)=1 $ so $$23.7^{13}\equiv 7(23) \to 7^{13}\equiv 7$$

0

You could note that $\varphi(5) = 5-1 = 4$ and $\varphi(8) = 8- 4 = 4$. Hence $7^4 \equiv 1 \pmod 5$ and $7^4 \equiv 1 \pmod 8$, in which case $7^4 \equiv 1 \pmod{40}$.

Hence $7^{13} \equiv (7^4)^3 \cdot 7 \equiv 7 \pmod{40}$.