Prove infinitude of primes of form 4k+1 using properties of Legendre symbol (-1/p)

In summary: Therefore, we can rewrite the prime factorization as:(p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k})^{2} + 1 = q_{1}q_{2}...q_{r} = \left(\frac{p_{1}}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{2}}{p_{i}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{i-1}}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{i+1}}{p_{i}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{k}}
  • #1
Vespero
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Homework Statement



Show that there are infinitely many primes [itex]4k+1[/itex] using the properties of [itex]\left(\frac{-1}{p}\right)[/itex].

Homework Equations



[itex]\left(\frac{-1}{p}\right) = \begin{cases}
1, & \text{if }p\equiv 1\ (mod\ 4), \\
-1, & \text{if }p\equiv 3\ (mod\ 4).
\end{cases} [/itex]

[itex]\left(\frac{ab}{p}\right) = \left(\frac{a}{p}\right)\left(\frac{b}{p}\right)[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



Similar to other proofs involving the infinitude of the primes, I assumed that there were only a finite number of primes of the form 4k+1, specifically [itex]p_1, p_2, ..., p_k[/itex]. I then formed the number [itex](p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k})^{2} + 1[/itex]. This number is not divisible by any [itex]p_{i}, 1 \leq i \leq k[/itex], for otherwise we would have [itex]p_{i}|1[/itex]. Now, this number has a prime factorization by the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic as [itex](p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k})^{2} + 1 = q_{1}q_{2}...q_{r}[/itex]. From this point on, I'm not sure where to go. Clearly, I need to incorporate the Legendre symbol, but I can't see where to apply its properties to arrive at a contradiction.
 
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  • #2


To continue, we will use the property of the Legendre symbol that states:

\left(\frac{ab}{p}\right) = \left(\frac{a}{p}\right)\left(\frac{b}{p}\right)

Using this property, we can rewrite the prime factorization of (p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k})^{2} + 1 as:

(p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k})^{2} + 1 = q_{1}q_{2}...q_{r} = \left(\frac{p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k}}{p_{1}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k}}{p_{2}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k}}{p_{r}}\right)

Since we know that p_{1}, p_{2}, ..., p_{k} are all of the form 4k+1, we can use the property of the Legendre symbol stated in the homework equations to see that:

\left(\frac{p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k}}{p_{i}}\right) = \left(\frac{p_{1}}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{2}}{p_{i}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{k}}{p_{i}}\right)

Since p_{i} is also of the form 4k+1, the Legendre symbol \left(\frac{p_{i}}{p_{i}}\right) = 1. Therefore, we have:

\left(\frac{p_{1}p_{2}...p_{k}}{p_{i}}\right) = \left(\frac{p_{1}}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{2}}{p_{i}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{i-1}}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{1}{p_{i}}\right)\left(\frac{p_{i+1}}{p_{i}}\right)...\left(\frac{p_{k}}{p_{i}}\right)

Since 1 is congruent to
 

1. How does the Legendre symbol (-1/p) relate to the infinitude of primes of form 4k+1?

The Legendre symbol (-1/p) is defined as 1 if p is a quadratic residue modulo 4 and -1 if p is a quadratic non-residue modulo 4. This means that if (-1/p) = 1, then p can be written as 4k+1, and if (-1/p) = -1, then p can be written as 4k+3. Since every prime can be written in one of these forms, proving that there are infinitely many primes of form 4k+1 using the Legendre symbol (-1/p) would also prove the infinitude of primes in general.

2. What is the significance of the number 4k+1 in this proof?

The number 4k+1 represents the form of primes that can be written as the sum of two squares. This is important because it allows us to use the properties of the Legendre symbol (-1/p) to prove the infinitude of these primes. It also has connections to other areas of mathematics, such as Fermat's theorem on sums of two squares.

3. Can you provide a brief overview of the proof using the Legendre symbol (-1/p)?

The proof involves assuming that there are only finitely many primes of form 4k+1, and then using the properties of the Legendre symbol (-1/p) to show that this leads to a contradiction. Specifically, it can be shown that if there are only finitely many such primes, then the product of all these primes can be expressed as the sum of two squares in two different ways, which is impossible. This contradiction proves that there must be infinitely many primes of form 4k+1.

4. How does this proof differ from other proofs of the infinitude of primes?

Unlike other proofs that involve techniques such as Euclid's proof or the Sieve of Eratosthenes, this proof uses the properties of the Legendre symbol (-1/p) to directly show the infinitude of primes of a specific form. It also has connections to other areas of mathematics, such as quadratic residues and quadratic forms.

5. Are there any limitations to this proof?

While this proof is elegant and has connections to other areas of mathematics, it only applies to primes of form 4k+1. It does not prove the infinitude of primes in general, as there are infinitely many primes of form 4k+3 as well. Additionally, it requires a basic understanding of quadratic residues and Legendre symbols, which may limit its accessibility to those unfamiliar with these concepts.

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