Phrase guide

Legendre symbol

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A mathematical function of an integer and a prime number, written (a/p), which indicates whether a is a quadratic residue modulo p.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, number-theory, sciences

Examples

  • 1994, James K. Strayer, Elementary Number Theory, Waveland Press, 2002, Reissue, page 109, Our only method at present for the computation of Legendre symbols requires a possible consideration of (p-1)/2 congruences (unless, of course, we are fortunate enough to encounter the desired quadratic residue along the way).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Named after French mathematician Adrien-Marie Legendre (1752–1833), who introduced the symbol in 1798 in his work Essai sur la Théorie des Nombres ("Essay on the Theory of Numbers").