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   "Politically correct" moduli re x^2+x-2
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   Author  Topic: "Politically correct" moduli re x^2+x-2  (Read 881 times)
ecoist
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"Politically correct" moduli re x^2+x-2  
« on: May 29th, 2007, 7:33pm »
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A positive integer n is politically correct relative to the polynomial P(x)=x2+x-2 if the congruence P(x)=0 (mod n) has at most two incongruent solutions modulo n.  For n=18, P(x)=0 (mod 18 ) has the three incongruent solutions 1, 4, and 7 mod 18.  So 18 comes up short on sensitivity.  Find all politically correct positive integers n relative to the polynomial P.
 
(Sorry, guys.  x2+x+1 was a bad choice.)
« Last Edit: May 29th, 2007, 8:34pm by ecoist » IP Logged
Eigenray
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Re: "Politically correct" moduli re x^2+  
« Reply #1 on: May 30th, 2007, 11:30am »
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I think x2+x+1 makes it more interesting.  In that case, the politically correct moduli are:
 
(0) n divisible by 9 or some prime which is 2 mod 3
(1) n = 1, 3
(2) n = pk, 3pk, where p is 1 mod 3, k>0.
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Re: "Politically correct" moduli re x^2+  
« Reply #2 on: May 30th, 2007, 11:55am »
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Say n is politically correct in degree d if for all monic integral polynomials P of degree d, P(x)=0 has at most d roots mod n.
 
The only n>1 which are politically correct in degree 2 are the primes and n=4.  In fact, these n are politically correct in every degree.
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