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jmc

number theory senior

Problem

If is a function, then we define the function to be the result of applications of to , where is a positive integer. For example, .

We define the of an input with respect to to be the smallest positive integer such that .

Now suppose is the function defined as the remainder when is divided by . What is the order of with respect to this function ?
Solution
By computing the first few , we get Thus, the desired order is .
Final answer
4