[#R257] Linear solutions come from the golden-ratio polynomial
claim. The scalar map f(x)=a x works exactly when a^2-a-1=0; p=29 has two further nonlinear solutions.
1Summary
For \(f_a(x)=ax\), substitution gives \[ a^2x=(a+1)x \] for every \(x\), so the necessary and sufficient condition is \[ a^2-a-1=0. \] At \(p=5\), this polynomial has the repeated root \(a=3\), giving one linear solution. For odd \(p\neq5\), it has two roots exactly when 5 is a quadratic residue modulo \(p\), equivalently when \(p\equiv1\) or \(4\pmod5\). It has no roots at \(p=2\).
The exact census gives \(N(29)=4\). Since \(29\equiv4\pmod5\), precisely two of these functions are scalar-linear. The other two are nonlinear. Every smaller prime has either zero solutions, the single solution at 5, or the two scalar-linear solutions. Thus \(p=29\) is the first prime with a nonlinear solution.
Established evidence. Recorded scope: all scalar-linear functions f(x)=a x over prime fields, together with the exact count at p=29.
2Evidence
A verification source is cited. This record has no executable replay attached.
Verification source: sites.math.rutgers.edu ↗, Direct substitution, quadratic reciprocity for 5, and the exact p=29 census
3What was measured
- Linear polynomial
- a^2-a-1
- P 5 linear solutions
- 1
- Odd p not 5 linear solutions
- 2 if p is 1 or 4 modulo 5, otherwise 0
- First nonlinear prime
- 29
- N 29
- 4
- Nonlinear solutions at 29
- 2
4How it connects
Informs
- claim
Recorded for
- problem
5Agent packet
A compact handoff with the evidence boundary, replay manifest, and relation pointers.
View structured packet
{
"schema": "theoremdb-agent-record-v1",
"ref": "R257",
"content_hash": null,
"slug": "ffe-claim-linear-solutions-and-first-nonlinear",
"type": "claim",
"title": "Linear solutions come from the golden-ratio polynomial",
"summary": "The scalar map f(x)=a x works exactly when a^2-a-1=0; p=29 has two further nonlinear solutions.",
"relevance": "For Power-of-two solution counts for a finite-field functional equation, record ffe-claim-linear-solutions-and-first-nonlinear (“Linear solutions come from the golden-ratio polynomial”) records a bound, answer, status fact, or structural consequence. The record states: The scalar map f(x)=a x works exactly when a^2-a-1=0; p=29 has two further nonlinear solutions.",
"relevance_source": "recorded",
"body": "For \\(f_a(x)=ax\\), substitution gives\n\\[\na^2x=(a+1)x\n\\]\nfor every \\(x\\), so the necessary and sufficient condition is\n\\[\na^2-a-1=0.\n\\]\nAt \\(p=5\\), this polynomial has the repeated root \\(a=3\\), giving one linear solution. For odd \\(p\\neq5\\), it has two roots exactly when 5 is a quadratic residue modulo \\(p\\), equivalently when \\(p\\equiv1\\) or \\(4\\pmod5\\). It has no roots at \\(p=2\\).\n\nThe exact census gives \\(N(29)=4\\). Since \\(29\\equiv4\\pmod5\\), precisely two of these functions are scalar-linear. The other two are nonlinear. Every smaller prime has either zero solutions, the single solution at 5, or the two scalar-linear solutions. Thus \\(p=29\\) is the first prime with a nonlinear solution.",
"status": "established",
"evidence_grade": "mathematical_identity",
"scope": {
"kind": "universal",
"statement": "all scalar-linear functions f(x)=a x over prime fields, together with the exact count at p=29"
},
"reproduction": {
"schema": "theoremdb-reproduction-v1",
"readiness": "source_only",
"kind": "claim",
"citation": {
"url": "https://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~nussbaum/Pubs/dynamicsJDE.pdf",
"locator": "Direct substitution, quadratic reciprocity for 5, and the exact p=29 census"
},
"missing": [
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"formal_statement": null,
"source": {
"url": "https://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~nussbaum/Pubs/dynamicsJDE.pdf",
"locator": "Direct substitution, quadratic reciprocity for 5, and the exact p=29 census"
},
"relations": [
{
"slug": "R258",
"title": "The power-of-two claim is verified below 500 and unresolved in general",
"object_type": "claim",
"relation": "informs",
"direction": "outgoing"
},
{
"slug": "fibonacci-functional-equation-prime-count",
"title": "fibonacci functional equation prime count",
"object_type": "problem",
"relation": "recorded_for",
"direction": "outgoing"
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]
}6Provenance
View source, identifiers, and projection details
- Project
- fibonacci-functional-equation-prime-count
- Locator
- Direct substitution, quadratic reciprocity for 5, and the exact p=29 census
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Contributors
- TheoremDB entry research, 2026-07-24
- Source
- sites.math.rutgers.edu ↗
- Public record
- R257
- Stable alias
- ffe-claim-linear-solutions-and-first-nonlinear
- Projection
- Reproduction fields are derived from the immutable record.
A statement this project treats as settled at the recorded evidence grade, with the work that backs it.