Powersums representing residues mod p^k, from Fermat to Waring

Abstract

The ring Z_k(+,.) mod p^k with prime power modulus (prime p>2) is analysed. Its cyclic group G_k of units has order (p-1)p^{k-1}, and all p-th power n^p residues form a subgroup F_k with |F_k|=|G_k|/p. The subgroup of order p-1, the core A_k of G_k, extends Fermat&#39;s Small Theorem (FST) to mod p^{k>1}, consisting of p-1 residues with n^p = n mod p^k. The concept of &#34;carry&#34;, e.g. n&#39; in FST extension n^{p-1} = n&#39;p+1 mod p^2, is crucial in expanding residue arithmetic to integers, and to allow analysis of divisors of 0 mod p^k. . . . . For large enough k \geq K_p (critical precison K_p < p depends on p), all nonzero pairsums of core residues are shown to be distinct, upto commutation. The known FLT case_1 is related to this, and the set F_k + F_k mod p^k of p-th power pairsums is shown to cover half of units group G_k. -- Yielding main result: each residue mod p^k is the sum of at most four p-th power residues. Moreover, some results on the generative power (mod p^{k>2}) of divisors of p^2-1 are derived. -- [Publ.: &#34;Computers and Mathematics with Applications&#34;, V39 N7-8 (Apr.2000) p253-261]