Exercise · ZW-QUADRATIC-RESIDUE-009 · ★★☆ Intermediate

Determine whether 3 is a quadratic residue modulo 13 by testing the squares of 1 through 6.

Choose one option.

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  • C. Yes, because 4² = 16 ≡ 3 (mod 13)

Explanation

We have 4² = 16 ≡ 3 (mod 13), so 3 is a residue. The claim that 3 does not appear overlooks 4².

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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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