TITLE: Evaluate $ \prod_{n=1}^{80}n^{k-n} \pmod{83}$
QUESTION [9 upvotes]: Evaluate $\displaystyle \prod_{n=1}^{80}n^{80-n} \pmod{83}$.

Attempt:
The product is \begin{align*}\prod_{n=1}^{80}n^{80-n} &= 1^{79} \cdot 2^{78} \cdot 3^{77} \cdots 79^1 \cdot 80^0\\&\equiv -2^{78} \cdot 3^{77} \cdot 4^{77} \cdots 41^{77}\\&\equiv -2 \cdot (1 \cdot 2 \cdots 41)^{77} \\&\equiv -2(1 \cdot 2 \cdots 41)^{77}\pmod{83}\end{align*} Note that $$1^2 \cdot 2^2 \cdot 3^2 \cdots \left(\dfrac{p-1}{2}\right)^2 \equiv (-1)^{\frac{p+1}{2}} \pmod{p}$$ for a prime $p$. Thus for $83$ we find $$(1 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdots 41)^2 \equiv (-1)^{\frac{83+1}{2}} \equiv (-1)^{42} \equiv 1 \pmod{83}.$$ But if $x^2 \equiv 1 \pmod{p}$, then $x \equiv \pm 1 \pmod{p}$. How do we eliminate the case that  $1 \cdot 2 \cdots 41 \equiv -1 \pmod{83}$?

REPLY [4 votes]: For $\prod_{n=1}^{82} n^{80-n} \mod 83$, we could pair each $n$ with $83-n$:
$$ n^{80-n} (83-n)^{n-3} \equiv n^{80-n} (-n)^{n-3} \equiv (-1)^{n-3} n^{77}$$
so that
$$ \prod_{n=1}^{82} n^{80-n} \equiv \prod_{n=1}^{41} (-1)^{n-3} n^{77} \mod 83$$
$\prod_{n=1}^{41} (-1)^{n-3}$ has $20$ factors of $-1$ (one for each even $n$) so it is $1$.  $\prod_{n=1}^{41} n \equiv 1 \mod 83$, so $\prod_{n=1}^{41} n^{77} \equiv 1 \mod 83$ as well.  Thus
$$ \prod_{n=1}^{82} n^{80-n} \equiv 1 \mod 83$$
But you're missing the cases $n=81 \equiv -2$ and $n = 82 \equiv -1$, so multiply by 
$81^{81-80} \equiv 81  \mod 83$ and $82^{82-80} \equiv (-1)^2 \equiv 1 \mod 83$
resulting in
$$ \prod_{n=1}^{80} n^{80-n} \equiv 81 \mod 83$$