4 Fermats Last Theorem for regular primes
Let \(p \geq 5\) be an prime number, \(\zeta _p\) a \(p\)-th root of unity and \(x, y \in \mathbb {Z}\) coprime.
For \(i \neq j\) we can write
with \(u\) a unit in \(\mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\). From this it follows that the ideals
are pairwise coprime.
Lemma 3.6 gives that \(u\) is a unit. So all that needs to be proved is that the ideals are coprime. Assume not, then for some \(i \neq j\) we have some prime ideal \(\mathfrak {p}\) dividing by \((x+y\zeta _p^i)\) and \((x+y\zeta _p^j)\). It must then also divide their sum and their difference, so we must have \(\mathfrak {p}| (1-\zeta _p)\) or \(\mathfrak {p}| y\). Similarly, \(\mathfrak {p}\) divides \(\zeta _p^j(x+y\zeta _p^i)-\zeta _p^i(x+y\zeta _p^j)\) so \(\mathfrak {p}\) divides \(x\) or \((1-\zeta _p)\). We can’t have \(\mathfrak {p}\) dividing \(x,y\) since they are coprime, therefore \(\mathfrak {p}|(1-\zeta _p)\). We know that since \((1-\zeta _p)\) has norm \(p\) it must be a prime ideal, so \(\mathfrak {p}=(1-\zeta _p)\). Now, note that \(x+y \equiv x+y\zeta _+p^i \equiv 0 \mod \mathfrak {p}\). But since \(x,y \in \mathbb {Z}\) this means we would have \(x+y \equiv 0 \pmod p\), which implies \(z^p \equiv 0 \pmod p\) which contradicts our assumptions.
Let \(p\) be an prime number, \(\zeta _p\) a \(p\)-th root of unity and \(\alpha \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\). Then \(\alpha ^p\) is congruent to an integer modulo \(p\).
Just use \((x+y)^p \equiv x^p + y^p \pmod p\) and that \(\zeta _p\) is a \(p\)-th root of unity.
Let \(p \geq 5\) be an prime number, \(\zeta _p\) a \(p\)-th root of unity and \( \alpha \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\). If there is an integer \(n\) such that \(\alpha /n \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\), then \(n\) divides each \(a_i\).
Looking at \(\alpha =a_0+a_1\zeta _p+\cdots +a_{p-1}\zeta _p^{p-1}\), if one of the \(a_i\)’s is zero and \(\alpha /n \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\), then \(\alpha /n=\sum _i a_i/n \zeta _p^i\). Now, as \(\alpha /n \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\), pick the basis of \(\mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\) which does not contain \(\zeta _p\) (which is possible as any subset of \(\{ 1,\zeta _p,\dots ,\zeta _p^{p-1}\} \) with \(p-1\) elements forms a basis of \(\mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\).]). Then \(\alpha =\sum _i b_i \zeta _p^i\) where \(b_i \in \mathbb {Z}\). Therefore comparing coefficients, we get the result.
Let \(p \geq 5\) be an prime number, \(\zeta _p\) a \(p\)-th root of unity and \( \alpha \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\). Suppose that \(x+y\zeta _p^i=u \alpha ^p\) with \(u \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]^\times \) and \(\alpha \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]\). Then there is an integer \(k\) such that
Using lemma 3.5 we have \((x+y\zeta _p^i) =\beta \zeta _p^k \alpha ^p\) which is equivalent to \(\beta \zeta _p^k a \pmod p\) with \(a\) and integer 4.2). Now, if we consider the complex conjugate we have \(\overline{(x+y\zeta _p^i) }\equiv \beta \zeta _p^{-k}a \pmod p\). Looking at \((x+y\zeta _p^i)-\zeta _p^{2k}\overline{(x+y\zeta _p^i) }\) then gives the result.
Let \(p \geq 5\) be an prime number, \(\zeta _p\) a \(p\)-th root of unity and \(K=\mathbb {Q}(\zeta _p)\). Assume that we have \(x,y,z \in \mathbb {Z}\) with \(\gcd (xyz,p)=1\) and such that
Then without loss of generality, we may assume \(x,y,z\) are pairwise coprime and
The first part is easy.
Reducing modulo \(p\), using Fermat’s little theorem, you get that if \(x \equiv y \equiv -z \pmod p\) then \(3z \equiv 0 \pmod p\). But since \(p {\gt}3\) this means \(p |z\) but this contradicts \(\gcd (xyz,p)=1\). Now, if \(x \equiv y \pmod p\) then \(x \not\equiv -z \pmod p\) we can relabel \(y,z\) so that wlog \(x \not\equiv y\) (this uses that \(p\) is odd).
A prime number \(p\) is called regular if it does not divide the class number of \(\mathbb {Q}(\zeta _p)\).
Let \(p\) be an odd regular prime. Then
has no solutions with \(x,y,z \in \mathbb {Z}\) and \(\gcd (xyz,p)=1\).
First thing is to note that if \(x^p+y^p=z^p\) then
as ideals. Then since by 4.1 we know the ideals are coprime, then by lemma 3.7 we have that each \((x+y\zeta _p^i)=\mathfrak {a}^p\), for \(\mathfrak {a}\) some ideal. Note that, \([\mathfrak {a}^p]=1\) in the class group. Now, since \(p\) does not divide the size of the class group we have that \([\mathfrak {a}]=1\) in the class group, so its principal. So we have \(x+y\zeta _p^i=u_i\alpha _i^p\) with \(u_i\) a unit. So by 4.4 we have some \(k\) such that \(x+y\zeta _p-\zeta _p^{2k}x-\zeta _p^{2k-1} \equiv 0 \pmod p\). If \(1,\zeta _p,\zeta _p^{2k},\zeta _p^{2k-1}\) are distinct, then 4.3 (which uses that \(p{\gt}3\)) says that \(p\) divides \(x,y\), contrary to our assumption. So they cannot be distinct, but checking each case leads to a contradiction, therefore there cannot be any such solutions.
Let \(p\) be a regular prime and let \(u \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]^\times \). If \(u^p \equiv a \mod p\) for some \(a \in \mathbb {Z}\), then there exists \(v \in \mathbb {Z}[\zeta _p]^\times \) such that \(u=v^p\).
Let \(p\) be an odd regular prime. Then
has no solutions with \(x,y,z \in \mathbb {Z}\) and \(p | xyz\).
Let \(p\) be an odd regular prime. Then
has no solutions with \(x,y,z \in \mathbb {Z}\) and \(xyz \ne 0\).