Proof: By Induction
(related to Theorem: Chinese Remainder Theorem)
By hypothesis, $m_1,m_2,\ldots,m_r$ are positive integers and $a_1,\ldots,a_r$ are any integers. We will first prove the theorem for $r=2$ and then the general case by induction. We can assume all $a_i$ are distinct, otherwise, we could replace two congruences of the system by just one and reduce the number of simultaneous congruences. For the case $r=1,$ the Chinese remainder theorem is trivial.
Base Case $r=2$
We will first show that both congruences are solvable simultaneously if and only if the greatest common divisor $d:=\gcd(m_1,m_2)$ is a divisor of $a_1-a_2.$
"$\Rightarrow$"
- Assume, $x(m_1)\equiv a_1(m_1)$ and $x(m_2)\equiv a_1(m_2).$
- From the congruence modulo a divisor, it follows that $x(d)\equiv a_1(d)$ and $x(d)\equiv a_1(d).$
- Thus, $a_1(d)=a_2(d).$
- By definition of congruence, it follows $d\mid (a_1-a_2).$
"$\Leftarrow$"
- Assume, $d\mid (a_1-a_2).$
- It follows, $d\mid (a_2-a_1).$
- According to existence and number of solutions of an LDE with one variable, the congruence $(m_1y)(m_2)\equiv (a_2-a_1)(m_2)\label{eq:E18592a}\tag{1}$ is solvable if and only if $\gcd(m_1,m_2)=d\mid (a_2-a_1),$ and it has exactly $d$ solutions.
- By setting $x:=m_1y$ we have $(x+a_1)(m_2)\equiv a_2(m_2).$
- On the other side, the congruence class $x(m_1)\equiv a_1(m_1)\label{eq:E18592b}\tag{2}$ is equivalent to $x=a_1+m_1h$ for all $h\in\mathbb Z.$
- Now we can chose $h$ such that $x(m_2)\equiv(hm_1+a_1)(m_2)\equiv a_2(m_2).$
- Comparing both results, we have $y=h$ and $x(m_2)\equiv(x+a_1)(m_2)\equiv a_2(m_2).\label{eq:E18592c}\tag{3}$
- It follows from $(\ref{eq:E18592b})$ and $(\ref{eq:E18592c})$ that $x(m_1)\equiv a_1(m_1)$ and $x(m_2)\equiv a_1(m_2).$
Now, we will show that all simultaneous solutions belong to a single congruence class modulo the least common multiple $\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,m_2).$
- In particular, the congruence $(\ref{eq:E18592a})$ is solvable for an $y_0$ with $$\frac{m_1}{d}y_0\equiv\frac{a_2-a_1}{d}\mod \frac{m_2}{d},$$ which has exactly one solution according to the existence and number of solutions of an LDE with one variable.
- All $x$ solving the simultaneous congruences $x(m_1)\equiv a_1(m_1)$ and $x(m_2)\equiv a_1(m_2)$ can be written (for $h\in\mathbb Z$) as $$\begin{array}{rcl}x&=&a_1+\left(y_0+h\frac{m_2}{d}\right)m_1\\
&=&a_1+y_0m_1+h\frac{m_1m_2}{d}\\
&=&a_1+y_0m_1+h\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,m_2),
\end{array}$$
because of the relationship between the greatest vommon divisor and the least common multiple.
- For $h\in\mathbb Z,$ the last equation consists exactly of the congruence class modulo $\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,m_2).$
Induction step $r > 2.$
- Let $r > 2$ and let the claim be proven for $r-1.$
- This means that there is an $a\in\mathbb Z$ with $x\equiv a\mod \operatorname{lcm}(m_1,\ldots,m_{r-1})$ being a solution of the simultaneous $r-1$ congruence classes
$$\begin{array}{rcl}
x(m_1)&\equiv&a_1(m_1)\\
x(m_2)&\equiv&a_2(m_2)\\
&\vdots&\\
x(m_{r-1})&\equiv& a_{r-1}(m_{r-1}).\\
\end{array}\label{eq:E18598d}\tag{4}$$
- The step $r-1\to r$ follows from the base case applied to the congruence system
$$\begin{array}{rcl}
x(\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,\ldots,m_{r-1}))&\equiv&a(\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,\ldots,m_{r-1}))\\
x(m_r)&\equiv&a_r(m_r),\\
\end{array}$$
and the definition of the least common multiple with more than two variables $\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,\ldots,m_{r})=\operatorname{lcm}(\operatorname{lcm}(m_1,\ldots,m_{r-1}), m_r).$
∎
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References
Bibliography
- Landau, Edmund: "Vorlesungen über Zahlentheorie, Aus der Elementaren Zahlentheorie", S. Hirzel, Leipzig, 1927