Integers Modulo

[Ed Quanta]

What does x=pmodn mean where x,p,are integers and n is a natural number?

[cookiemonster]

x is a number that, when divided by n, will leave a remainder of p.

Mathworld has plenty of information.

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Congruence.html

cookiemonster

[HallsofIvy]

Cookiemonster's statement is true as long as you assume that p< n, which is the most common use. More generally, "x= p, mod n" (actually "x congruent to p mod n" with the congruence sign having 3 lines instead of only two like "="), means that x-p is exactly divisible by n.