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I found this assertion in a proof of the number of unique solutions of $ax \equiv b \mod m$ with $\gcd(a,m) \mid b$:

The page is here: http://sites.millersville.edu/bikenaga/number-theory/linear-congruences/linear-congruences.html

Let $d = \gcd(a, m)$

Let $d' = \gcd\left(m, \frac{m}{d}\right)$

Show $d' = \frac{m}{d}$.

Clearly, $d' \leq \frac{m}{d}$

But now I'm stuck.

Robert Soupe
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doctorjay
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  • What's the problem? Clearly $\frac{m}{d} | m$ if $d | m$. – user202729 May 31 '17 at 02:52
  • The greatest common divisor of any (nonzero) number and one of its divisors is its divisor. –  May 31 '17 at 03:09
  • Also, it occurs to me that it is a property of $gcd(a,b$ that all linear combinations of $a$ and $b$ are multiples of $gcd(a,b$). So $gcd(m, \frac{m}{d}) \mid (0 \cdot m + 1 \cdot \frac{m}{d})$. Since $gcd(m, \frac{m}{d}) \leq \frac{m}{d}$, this also completes a proof. – doctorjay May 31 '17 at 03:24

4 Answers4

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You can find the proof like the following: $$m = dz \Rightarrow z = \frac{m}{d} \Rightarrow \gcd\left(m, \frac{dz}{d}\right) = \gcd(m, z) = \gcd(dz, z) = z = \frac{m}{d}.$$

Robert Soupe
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OmG
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    Over the blockage. Conversely, let $m'=\frac{m}{d}$, so $gcd(m'd, m')=m'$. Same result with less steps, I think. – doctorjay May 31 '17 at 03:10
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Have you tried plugging in some numbers? Sometimes the obscure becomes obvious when you have some specific numbers to deal with. Let's say $a = 70$, $b = 47$, $m = 21$.

Then $d = \gcd(70, 21) = 7$ and $$d' = \gcd\left(21, \frac{21}{7}\right) = \gcd(21, 3) = 3.$$

It now seems obvious to me that $d$ is a divisor of $m$ (since it's the greatest common divisor of $a$ and $m$), and therefore $\frac{m}{d}$ is also a divisor of $m$. If $\frac{m}{d} < m$, then $\frac{m}{d}$ is the greatest common divisor of $m$ and itself. And if $\frac{m}{d} = m$ (which is the case if $d = 1$) then the number is trivially its greatest common divisor with itself (unless that number is 0, but that's a whole other can of worms).

Either way, $$d' = \frac{m}{d},$$ as you were asked to show.

Robert Soupe
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1

There are two common (equivalent) definitions of the greatest common divisor.

If you use the literal definition ... $\frac md $ is a divisor in common with $m $ and $\frac md $ and anything greater than $\frac md $ isn't a divisor of $\frac md $. So $\frac md $ is the greatest common divisor of $m $ and $\frac md$.

The other common definition is that it is a common divisor (same as above) and any other common divisor divides it. As $\frac md$ is $\frac md $ any divisor of $\frac md$... is a divisor of $\frac md $

fleablood
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By the GCD Distributive Law $\ (m,\frac{m}d) = \frac{m}d (d,1) = \frac{m}d.\,$ Follow the link for four proofs of the law.

Bill Dubuque
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