English

Balanced paring of $\{1,2,\ldots,(p-1)/2\}$ for $p\equiv 1 \pmod{4}$

Number Theory 2020-08-25 v1 Combinatorics

Abstract

Let p1(mod4)p\equiv 1 \pmod{4} be a prime. Write t=x=1(p1)/2xt = \prod_{x=1}^{(p-1)/2}x. Since t21(modp)t ^2\equiv -1 \pmod{p} , we can divide {1,2,,(p1)/2}\{1,2,\ldots,(p-1)/2\} into (p1)/4(p-1)/4 ordered pairs so that each pair, say <a,a~><a,\tilde{a}> , satisfies that ta±a~(modp).t a \equiv \pm \tilde{a} \pmod{p}. For any two such pairs, assume a<a~,b<b~,a<ba<\tilde{a}, b<\tilde{b}, a<b , then there are three possibilities for their relative order : a<a~<b<b~a<\tilde{a} < b< \tilde{b} , a<b<a~<b~a< b < \tilde{a} < \tilde{b} , a<b<b~<a~a< b < \tilde{b}< \tilde{a}. We show this paring is balanced in the sense that the three cases occur with equal frequencies. Utilizing properties of this paring we solve one problem raised by Zhi-Wei Sun concerning the sign of permutation related to quadratic residues.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2008.10152,
  title  = {Balanced paring of $\{1,2,\ldots,(p-1)/2\}$ for $p\equiv 1 \pmod{4}$},
  author = {Chao Huang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.10152},
  year   = {2020}
}