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| Question 1207857:  Find all integers
  ,  , such that  is its own inverse modulo   Answer by ikleyn(52879)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! . Find all integers
  , {0 <= n < 163}, such that n is its own inverse modulo 163. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 
(a)  For our solution, the important fact is that 163 is a prime number.
     Integer x is an inverse to integer n modulo 163 if and only if
         nx = 1 mod 163   by the definition.
     According to it, integer n is its own inverse modulo 163 if and only if
         n^2 = 1 modulo 163.
     One solution is trivial: it is n = 1 mod 163, or simply n= 1.
     It is easy to find another (non-trivial) solution n.  Take n = -1 mod 163;  then  n^2 = (-1)*(-1) = 1 mod 163.
     So, the class n = -1 mod 163 is the other possible solution. 
     If we want n in the interval 0 <= n < 163, we should take n = 162, which is 163-1.
     Then we have n^2 = (163-1)*(163-1) = 163^2 - 2*163 + 1 = 1 mod 163.
     So, this part (one half) of the problem is solved.  
     We found two solutions in the given interval: n = 1  and n = 162.
(b)   Now we want to prove that these two solutions, n= 1 and n= 162, are unique in the given interval 
      OK.  Let  assume that m is another integer number in the interval 0 <= m < 163,
           inverse to itself mod 163.  Then we have these two modular equations
               m*m = 1  mod 163
               1*1 = 1  mod 163.
      Taking the difference, we have
               (m+1)*(m-1) = 0 mod 163.
      It means that either (m-1) or (m+1) is divisible by 163.
      In combination with the fact that 0 <= m < 163, it means that either m= 1 or m= 162.
      Thus we proved that in interval [0,163) there is no other own-inverse numbers mod 163
Solved, with complete explanations.
 
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 This problem is from  22nd  Philippine  Mathematical  Olympiad of  2019.
 
 
 
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