More fun in 2015, Part 12

What is the sum of all primitive 201 5 th 2015^\text{th} roots of unity, w w , meaning that 2015 is the smallest positive integer n n such that w n = 1 w^n=1 ?


Extra Credit Question: What is the sum of the primitive 200 9 th 2009^\text{th} roots of unity?


The answer is -1.

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1 solution

The Möbius function is just what we needed, it is defined as the sum of the primitive n-th roots of unity. It is μ ( n ) \mu(n) , and if n n has repeated prime factors, then μ ( n ) = 0 \mu(n)=0 ; if n n has an odd number of distinct prime factors, then μ ( n ) = 1 \mu(n)=-1 ; and if n n has an even number of distinct prime factors, then μ ( n ) = 1 \mu(n)=1 .

We know that 2015 = 5 × 13 × 31 2015=5\times13\times31 , it has 3 3 distinct prime factors, hence μ ( 2015 ) = 1 \mu(2015)=\boxed{-1} .

For the bonus question, 2009 = 7 2 × 41 2009=7^2 \times 41 , hence μ ( 2009 ) = 0 \mu(2009)=0 .

it can be solved using vieta too

Dev Sharma - 5 years, 7 months ago

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show us how!

Otto Bretscher - 5 years, 7 months ago

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x 2015 1 = 0 x^{2015} - 1 = 0

using vieta, sum of roots = 0 but 1 is also a root so answer is -1

Dev Sharma - 5 years, 7 months ago

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@Dev Sharma the question asks for 'primative' roots, meaning roots that first appear for 2015. some like e 2 π 5 e^{\dfrac{2\pi}{5}} is noy considered to be primitive.

Aareyan Manzoor - 5 years, 7 months ago

@Dev Sharma You would have to use cyclotomic polynomials to do this with Viete

Otto Bretscher - 5 years, 7 months ago

Exactly! Thank you for this elegant and lucid solution!

Otto Bretscher - 5 years, 9 months ago

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