Let p be a prime number. If p∣n, then p−1∣ϕ(n).
Proof. We need to prove that if
p divides
n, then
p−1 divides the Euler’s totient function of
n.
Assume that
p∣n. Then
n=pαc for some integer
c and positive integer
α where
p doesn’t divide
c. Now since
p∤c, this implies that
gcd(pα,c)=1. Since the Euler’s totient function is multiplicative, we can apply that
ϕ(pαc)=ϕ(pα)ϕ(c). So together, we get
ϕ(n)=ϕ(pαc) since n=pαc=ϕ(pm)ϕ(c) since gcd(pα,c)=1=pα−1(p−1)ϕ(c).
So since
ϕ(n)=pα−1(p−1)ϕ(c), we have that
p−1∣ϕ(n).