Find all positive integer $ m$ if there exists prime number $ p$ such that $ n^m-m$ can not be divided by $ p$ for any integer $ n$.
Problem
Source: China TST 2004 Quiz
Tags: number theory, relatively prime, number theory unsolved
04.02.2009 09:08
This seems to generalize IMO 2003, number 6.
24.04.2009 03:38
The QuattoMaster 6000 wrote: This seems to generalize IMO 2003, number 6.
Should it be $ \gcd (q, m - 1) = 1$ rather than 0? And also, is the bold part really necessary? Since you showed that $ x$ divides $ m$ but doesn't divide $ mp$, isn't that contradiction by itself?
24.04.2009 03:54
ZzZzZzZzZzZz wrote: Should it be $ \gcd (q, m - 1) = 1$ rather than 0? Yes, sorry. ZzZzZzZzZzZz wrote: And also, is the bold part really necessary? Since you showed that $ x$ divides $ m$ but doesn't divide $ mp$, isn't that contradiction by itself? I showed that $ x | pm$, but $ x$ is not a factor of $ m$, not the other way around; sorry for the confusion.
02.11.2013 15:02
I think this is much much harder than IMO Shortlist..
03.07.2024 06:50
indeed harder version of 2003 IMO P6. The answer is all $m>1.$ Select prime number $q\mid m.$ $p\mid n^m-m\Rightarrow n^{mq}\equiv m^q\equiv 1\pmod p.$ So we hope to pick $p$ as a prime factor of $m^q-1.$ Now $p\mid n^{mq}-1,$ so $ord_p(n)\mid mq.$ Also $ord_p(n)\mid p-1,$ therefore $ord_p(n)\mid \gcd (p-1,mq).$ Now if $p\not\mid m-1,\gcd (p-1,mq)\mid m,$ we are done because now $p\mid n^m-1,$ $p\mid m-1$ contradiction! Now we prove the existence of $p.$ Let $p\mid\frac{m^q-1}{m-1}.$ Obviously the properties all hold.$\Box$