Question 14 Marks
Show that the square of any positive integer cannot be of the form $6\ m + 2 or 6\ m + 5$ for any integer m.
Answer
View full question & answer→Let a be an arbitrary positive integer, then by Euclid's division algorithm, corresponding to the positive integers a and 6 , there exist non-negative integers $q$ and $r$ such that
$a=6 q+r, \text { where } 0 \leq r<6$
$\Rightarrow a^2=(6 q+r)^2=36 q^2+r^2+12 q r$
${\left[\because(a+b)^2=a^2+2 a b+b^2\right]}$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+2 q r\right)+r^2 \ldots(i)$
Where, $0 \leq r<6$
Case I: Where $r=0$, then putting $r=0$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2\right)=6 m$
Where, $m=6 q^2$ is an integer.
Case II: When $r=1$, then putting $r=1$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+2 q\right)+1=6 m+1$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+2 q\right)$ is an integer
Case III: When $r=2$, then putting $r=2$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+4 q\right)+4=6 m+4$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+4 q\right)$ is an integer.
Case IV: When $r=3$, then putting $r=3$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+6 q\right)+9$
$=6\left(6 q^2+6 q\right)+6+3$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+6 q+1\right)+3=6 m+3$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+6 q+1\right)$ is an integer.
Case V: When $r=4$, then putting $r=4$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+8 q\right)+16$
$=6\left(6 q^2+8 q\right)+12+4$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+8 q+2\right)+4=6 m+4$
Where, $n=\left(6 q^2+8 q+2\right)+4=6 m+4$
Case VI: When $r=5$, then putting $r=5$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+10 q\right)+25$
$=6\left(6 q^2+10 q\right)+24+1$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+10 q+4\right)+1=6 m+1$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+10 q+1\right)$ is an integer.
Hence, the square of any positive integer cannot be of the form $6 m+2$ or $6 m+5$ for any integer $m$.
$a=6 q+r, \text { where } 0 \leq r<6$
$\Rightarrow a^2=(6 q+r)^2=36 q^2+r^2+12 q r$
${\left[\because(a+b)^2=a^2+2 a b+b^2\right]}$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+2 q r\right)+r^2 \ldots(i)$
Where, $0 \leq r<6$
Case I: Where $r=0$, then putting $r=0$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2\right)=6 m$
Where, $m=6 q^2$ is an integer.
Case II: When $r=1$, then putting $r=1$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+2 q\right)+1=6 m+1$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+2 q\right)$ is an integer
Case III: When $r=2$, then putting $r=2$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+4 q\right)+4=6 m+4$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+4 q\right)$ is an integer.
Case IV: When $r=3$, then putting $r=3$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+6 q\right)+9$
$=6\left(6 q^2+6 q\right)+6+3$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+6 q+1\right)+3=6 m+3$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+6 q+1\right)$ is an integer.
Case V: When $r=4$, then putting $r=4$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+8 q\right)+16$
$=6\left(6 q^2+8 q\right)+12+4$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+8 q+2\right)+4=6 m+4$
Where, $n=\left(6 q^2+8 q+2\right)+4=6 m+4$
Case VI: When $r=5$, then putting $r=5$ in
Eq. (i), we get
$a^2=6\left(6 q^2+10 q\right)+25$
$=6\left(6 q^2+10 q\right)+24+1$
$\Rightarrow a^2=6\left(6 q^2+10 q+4\right)+1=6 m+1$
Where, $m=\left(6 q^2+10 q+1\right)$ is an integer.
Hence, the square of any positive integer cannot be of the form $6 m+2$ or $6 m+5$ for any integer $m$.