WWikiLLemmasThe totient of a prime
Lemma·L80
For a prime p, exactly the p minus 1 nonzero residue classes are units, so the totient is p minus 1.
In words
For a prime p, the totient of p is one less than p: every one of the p minus 1 nonzero residue classes is invertible.
Never needed: F10 · A03 · A04 · A05 · A07 · A09 (computed from the citation graph, not asserted).
Proof
- 1prime gives , so and has exactly elements (T60). Write .
- 2
- 3
- 4
∎
Remarks
A prime modulus is special: since a prime's only divisors are
and itself, every residue
with
is coprime to
, so its class is a unit. Only
is left out, giving
. Equivalently,
is a field: every nonzero element is invertible. This is the count that turns Euler's theorem into Fermat's little theorem.