Problem

Source: IMOC 2021 N1

Tags: number theory



This problem consists of four parts. 1. Show that for any nonzero integers $m,n,$ and prime $p$, we have $v_p(mn)=v_p(m)+v_p(n).$ 2. Show that if an off prime $p$, a positive integer $k$ and integers $a,b$ satisfy $p \nmid ~^\text{'}~p|a-b$ and $p\nmid k$, then $v_p(a^k-b^k)=v_p(a-b).$ 3. Show that if $p$ is an off prime with $p|a-b$ and $p\nmid a,b$, then $v_p(a^p-b^p)=v_p(a-b)+1)$. 4. Show that if an odd prime $p$, a positive integer $k$ and integers $a,b$ satisfy $p\nmid a,b ~^\text{'}~ p|a-b$, then $v_p(a^k-b^k)=v_p(a-b)$. Proposed by LTE.