What is the largest integer that always divides n 7 − n for any integer n ?
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and what about n=1?
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If n = 1 , then n 7 − n = 0 is divisible by every integer, so it's divisible by 4 2 . Btw, I've greatly edited the solution. Ask if something is unclear.
Excellent. I am truly impressed by your math skills!! I voted you up and thanks a lot for pointing out the error in the wording :D
Or you could have written n^7 - n as n(n^6-1). The latter is always divsible by 7 and this is always divisble by 6 as you've clearly shown...Thus proved. BTW, I wanted to ask you this- Did you learn all of this in school or on your own through interest ( I mean the higher math) @mathh mathh
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Most of it on my own. My math teacher is great at olympiad problems and helps me out a bit, though.
Given the change in the question, can you explain why this would be the largest number? Why doesn't any larger number exist?
@Jaime Lopez Amaya, the question is asking largest integer
I did not get this!
this can also divided by 14 and get the result. 2^7-2=126/14=9
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You have to prove this for all n ∈ Z , not just n = 2 .
put any value say 9^7-9/14=341640..all value of n ^7-n are divisible by 14..
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You have to rigorously prove it for all n , not just for n = 9 .
And what you are left after dividing by 14 is still always divisible by 3, so the original number is divisible by 42 (=14*3)
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Fermat's Little Theorem tells us that n 7 ≡ n ( m o d 7 ) .
n 7 − n = n ( n 3 − 1 ) ( n 3 + 1 ) = n ( n − 1 ) ( n + 1 ) ⋅ ( n 2 + n + 1 ) ( n 2 − n + 1 )
n ( n − 1 ) ( n + 1 ) is a product of 3 consecutive integers, hence it is divisible by 6 .
Hence, ∀ n ∈ Z , we have n 7 ≡ n ( m o d 4 2 ) , since 7 ⋅ 6 = 4 2 .
2 7 − 2 = 1 2 6 = 4 2 ⋅ 3 and 3 7 − 3 = 4 2 ⋅ 5 2 , so 4 2 is the largest possibility, because g cd ( 3 , 5 2 ) = 1 .