[Home]Eulers phi function

HomePage | Recent Changes | Preferences

Difference (from prior major revision) (no other diffs)

Changed: 5c5
modulo-and-coprime-to m, n, mn respectively; then there's a bijection between AxB and C, via the [Chinese Remainder Theorem]?.)
modulo-and-coprime-to m, n, mn respectively; then there is a bijection between AxB and C, via the [Chinese Remainder Theorem]?.)

Changed: 7c7
If n = p1k1 ... prkr
The value of φ(n) can be computed using the fundamental theorem of arithmetic: if n = p1k1 ... prkr

Changed: 10c10
(Sketch of proof: the case r=1 is easy, and the general result follows by multiplicativity.)
(Sketch of proof: the case r = 1 is easy, and the general result follows by multiplicativity.)

Euler's phi function, denoted by φ(n) and named after Leonhard Euler, is an important function in number theory. If n is a positive integer, then φ(n) is defined to be the number of positive integers less than n and coprime to n. This is also equal to the order of the group of units of the ring Z/nZ (see modulo arithmetic). For example, φ(8) = 4 since the four numbers 1, 3, 5 and 7 are coprime to 8. Also phi(21)=4.

φ is a multiplicative function: if m and n are coprime then φ(mn) = φ(m) φ(n). (Sketch of proof: let A, B, C be the sets of residue classes modulo-and-coprime-to m, n, mn respectively; then there is a bijection between AxB and C, via the [Chinese Remainder Theorem]?.)

The value of φ(n) can be computed using the fundamental theorem of arithmetic: if n = p1k1 ... prkr where the pj are distinct primes, then φ(n) = (p1-1) p1k1-1 ... (pr-1) prkr-1. (Sketch of proof: the case r = 1 is easy, and the general result follows by multiplicativity.)


HomePage | Recent Changes | Preferences
This page is read-only | View other revisions
Last edited December 3, 2001 6:51 am by AxelBoldt (diff)
Search: