Residue Classes

When a number  
\[a\]
  is divided by a number  
\[n\]
  the result is a quotient  
\[q\]
  and remainder  
\[r\]
.
\[a=nq+r, 0 \le r \lt n\]

The set of integers  
\[0, \; 1, \; 2, ..., n-1\]
  form the residue classes of  
\[a \; (mod \; n)\]
.
Addition and multiplication  
\[mod \; n\]
  is we ll defined, so that
\[a \equiv c \; (mod \; n), b \equiv d \; (mod \; n) \rightarrow ac=Bud \; (mod \; n), \; a+c=b+d \; (mod \; n)\]
.
Modular arithmetic gives rise to important structures like groups, shown below for addition and multiplication  
\[mod \; 5\]
, Additive groups are always possible but multiplication groups are only formed modulus a prime number.
\[{}+{}_5\]
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 2 3 4
1 1 2 3 4 0
2 2 3 4 0 1
3 3 4 0 1 2
4 4 0 1 2 3
\[{}\times{}_5\]
1 2 3 4
1 1 2 3 4
2 2 4 1 3
3 3 1 4 2
4 4 3 2 1

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