Strangers in the night

Number Theory Level pending

For how many positive integers n n , are there exactly 132 132 integers from 1 1 to n 1 n-1 that are coprime to n n ?


The answer is 7.

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1 solution

Calvin Lin Staff
May 13, 2014

The number of integers from 1 1 to n 1 n-1 coprime to n n is the Euler's totient function ϕ ( n ) . \phi(n). If n = p 1 k 1 . . . p s k s n=p_1^{k_1}\cdot ... \cdot p_s^{k_s} is the decomposition of n n into a product of powers of distinct primes, then ϕ ( n ) = ( p 1 1 ) p 1 k 1 1 . . . ( p s 1 ) p s k s 1 = n ( 1 1 p 1 ) . . . ( 1 1 p s ) \phi(n)=(p_1-1)p_1^{k_1-1}\cdot ... \cdot (p_s-1)p_s^{k_s-1}=n\cdot (1-\frac{1}{p_1})\cdot ... \cdot (1-\frac{1}{p_s})

Suppose ϕ ( n ) = 132 = 11 12. \phi(n)=132=11\cdot 12. Then 11 n , 11\nmid n, otherwise 10 10 would have to divide 132. 132. Therefore, 11 11 divides p 1 p-1 for some prime p n . p|n. Clearly, such p p must be of the form 22 k + 1 , 22k+1, where 2 k 2k divides 12 12 . Checking k = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , k=1,2,3,4,6, we get p = 23 , p=23, p = 67 , p=67, p = 89 p=89 ( 45 45 and 133 133 are not primes).

Case 1. n = 89 m . n=89\cdot m. Clearly, 89 m , 89\nmid m, so 132 = ϕ ( 89 ) ϕ ( m ) , 132=\phi(89) \cdot \phi(m), thus ϕ ( m ) = 2. \phi(m)=2. The only primes that could divide m m are 2 2 and 3 3 . Further, if m = 2 a 3 b , m=2^a3^b, then a 2 a\leq 2 and b 1. b\leq 1. A simple check gives three possibilities: m = 3 , 4 , 6. m=3,4,6.

Case 2. n = 67 m . n=67\cdot m. Clearly, 67 m , 67\nmid m, so 132 = ϕ ( 67 ) ϕ ( m ) , 132=\phi(67) \cdot \phi(m), thus ϕ ( m ) = 3. \phi(m)=3. This is impossible. In fact, no odd number greater than 1 1 can be ϕ ( m ) \phi(m) for any m m : no odd prime can divide m m , and if m = 2 a , m=2^a, ϕ ( m ) = 2 a 1 . \phi(m)=2^{a-1}.

Case 3. n = 23 m . n=23\cdot m. Clearly, 23 m , 23\nmid m, so 132 = ϕ ( 23 ) ϕ ( m ) , 132=\phi(23) \cdot \phi(m), thus ϕ ( m ) = 6. \phi(m)=6. The only primes p p that can divide m m are 2 , 2, 3 , 3, and 7. 7. If 7 m , 7|m, then clearly m = 7 m=7 or m = 14 m=14 . Now suppose m = 2 a 3 b m=2^a3^b . The order of 3 3 in ϕ ( m ) \phi(m) is b 1 , b-1, so b = 2 b=2 . Clearly, m = 9 m=9 or m = 18. m=18.

So altogether we have 7 7 choices for n n .

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