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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

436.0. "A Quickie" by BEING::POSTPISCHIL () Tue Jan 21 1986 17:57

Here's a problem from last night's _Granite State Challenge_.  I liked it
because I figured out the answer before I realized what I was doing (it's
my old competition reflexes).

What is the remainder when x^37 + 2x is divided by x+1 ?


				-- edp
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
436.1TOOLS::STANTue Jan 21 1986 21:064
 37
x  +2x=(x+1)Q(x)+R

Let x=-1 and we get -1-2=R, so the remainder, R, is -3.
436.2R2ME2::GILBERTWed Jan 22 1986 12:535
I realized that x^37+1 is a multiple of x+1, so

	x^37+2x = x^37+1 + 2x-1 = (x+1)P(x) + 2x-1

And the remainder when 2x-1 is divided by x+1 is -3.
436.3A faster way?CIMLAB::HAINSWORTHMany pages make a thick book.Thu Jul 30 1987 19:295
    The remainder when x^37 + 2x is divided by x+1 is the value of the
    original expression when x+1 = 0.  (-1)^37 + 2(-1) = -3.  That's
    how I did it.
    
    John