1970]

ON A CLASS OF DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS

u
n
= 1 1 - . 1 (b)

0n

475

(n > 1) ;

then
ni
a.
0 [1 + (b - l)p
] i = b13
n+1
i=0

(9)
Proof,

(n > 1)

Since
u

^n = T A H T

<n * x>

we have
u
k
b ~ = 1 + (b - 1)/^

for k > 1 and the result readily follows,

REFERENCES
1 L. E. Dickson, History of the Theory of Numbers, VoL 1, pa 3858
2. Ibid, p. 19,

ON A CONJECTURE OF DMITRI THORO*

DAVID G. BEVERAGE
Sao Diego State College, San Diego, California

Denoting the n

term of the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ,

byJ F n9, where F n+2

, 0 = Fn+1
, - + Fn , it is well known that
F2 - F
F
= (-l)n+1
K 1;
n
n-ln+1
If odd prime p divides F

- , then

F2 = ( _ D n + 1
so that (-1)

(modp) ,

is a quadratic residue modulo p* Clearly, for n = 2k, this

implies - 1 is a quadratic residue modulo p , and accordingly, p = 1 (mod

[Continued on page 537* ]