"If is a prime number greater than 3, then is always divisible by 6 and 8."
Is that statement True or False?
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Prime numbers ( p > 3 ) can be obtained by 6 k ± 1 where k ∈ N . Now p 2 − 1 = ( 6 k ± 1 ) 2 − 1 = ( 3 6 k 2 ± 1 2 k + 1 ) − 1 = 1 2 k ( 3 k ± 1 ) Notice that gcd ( k , 3 k ± 1 ) = 1 which implies that k ( 3 k ± 1 ) = 2 m for some positive integer m . Plugging back we have p 2 − 1 = 1 2 ⋅ 2 m = 2 4 m which is always divisible by 8 and 6 . Thus the answer is True .