Exercise 623Number theory › Divisibility and gcdM1Added 4 Nov 2026
gcd(n! + 1, (n + 1)! + 1) = 1
#gcd#divisibility#factorials
Statement
Prove that for every positive integer , and are coprime.
Hint
Let divide both. Express in terms of and reduce modulo .
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Solution
Proof. Let be a common divisor. Then . Since ,
so . But , hence . Together with this gives .
Check. : ; : ✓.
Remark. Equivalently, by the Euclidean algorithm.
Lesson. To prove coprimality, assume a common divisor , reduce one expression modulo using the other, and show that divides .