Exercise · ZW-QUADRATIC-RESIDUE-002 · ★☆☆ Basic

State the definition of a quadratic residue modulo n for an integer a with gcd(a,n)=1.

Choose one option.

Show answer
  • B. a is a residue if x² ≡ a (mod n) has a solution

Explanation

The condition requires that the square of some integer x gives a modulo n. The option using only x without a power describes a linear congruence, not a quadratic one.

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Review the concept: Quadratic residue

A quadratic residue modulo n is an integer a with gcd(a,n)=1 such that the congruence x² ≡ a (mod n) has a solution. If it has no solution, a is a quadratic nonresidue.

\[x^2 \equiv a \pmod{p}\]

More practice problems: quadratic residue

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