Another Remainder Question

1 + 1 2 + 1 3 + + 1 13 1 + \dfrac12 + \dfrac13 + \cdots + \dfrac1{13}

If the value of the expression above can be expressed as x 13 ! \dfrac{x}{13!} , what is the remainder when x x is divided by 11?

3 6 0 9

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2 solutions

Ravi Dwivedi
Dec 21, 2015

x = 13 ! ( 1 1 + 1 2 + 1 3 + . . . + 1 13 ) x=13!(\frac{1}{1}+\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{3}+...+\frac{1}{13})

x = ( 13 ! 1 + 13 ! 2 + 13 ! 3 + . . . + 13 ! 11 + 13 ! 12 + 13 ! 13 ) x=(\frac{13!}{1}+\frac{13!}{2}+\frac{13!}{3}+...+\frac{13!}{11}+\frac{13!}{12}+\frac{13!}{13})

In the above expression, there are 13 13 terms and except 13 ! 11 \frac{13!}{11} all other terms are divisible by 11 11 ,leaving no remainder. So the remainder would depend solely on 13 ! 11 = 10 ! × 12 × 13 \frac{13!}{11}=10! \times 12 \times 13

By Wilson's theorem 10 ! 1 ( m o d 11 ) 10! \equiv -1 \pmod{11}

Also 12 1 ( m o d 11 ) 12 \equiv 1 \pmod{11}

13 2 ( m o d 11 ) 13 \equiv 2 \pmod{11}

So x 1 × 1 × 2 2 ( m o d 11 ) 9 ( m o d 11 ) x \equiv -1 \times 1 \times 2 \equiv -2 \pmod{11}\equiv 9 \pmod{11}

Hance the remainder is 9 \boxed{9} .

Moderator note:

Good observation.

Would our answer be different if we were to consider the fraction in reduced form, as opposed to a denominator of 13 ! 13! ?

Solve this question without applying Wilson theorem. .I am in class 10 cannot understand it

Shaunak Dubey - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

Do u understand congruences?

Ravi Dwivedi - 5 years, 5 months ago

Sum it then you will find, all terms in numerator are divisible by 11 but 1 2 3 .... 10 12 13 is not. Now multiply it and see remainder.

Dev Sharma - 5 years, 5 months ago

Read the wiki.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 5 months ago

exactly same way

Kaustubh Miglani - 5 years, 5 months ago
Arjen Vreugdenhil
Dec 22, 2015

A solution without appealing to Wilson: x = 13 ! 1 + 13 ! 2 + + 13 ! 13 , x = \frac{13!}{1} + \frac{13!}{2} + \cdots + \frac{13!}{13}, and the only term that does not contain the factor 11 is 13 ! / 11 13!/11 , where it is divided out at the bottom. So we look at the remainder of 1 2 9 10 12 13 , when divided by 11 . 1\cdot 2\cdots 9\cdot 10\cdot 12\cdot 13,\ \ \ \ \text{when divided by 11}. Now we may replace each factor by another number with the same remainder after division by 11; here we have 2 3 4 ( 6 ) 6 ( 4 ) ( 3 ) ( 2 ) ( 1 ) 1 2 = ( 2 6 ) ( 2 6 ) ( 3 4 ) ( 3 4 ) ( 1 ) 2 = 1 2 4 ( 2 ) , 2\cdot 3\cdot 4\cdot (-6)\cdot 6\cdot (-4)\cdot (-3)\cdot (-2)\cdot (-1)\cdot 1\cdot 2 \\ = (2\cdot 6)\cdot (-2\cdot -6)\cdot (3\cdot 4)\cdot (-3\cdot -4)\cdot (-1)\cdot 2 \\ = 12^4\cdot (-2), which we further reduce to ( 1 ) 4 ( 2 ) = 2 / (-1)^4\cdot (-2) = -2/ which has remainder 9 \boxed{9} after division by 11.

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