**Legendren symboli** on lukuteoriassa symboli {\displaystyle \left({\frac {a}{p}}\right)}, joka kertoo, onko luku a neliöjäännös modulo p. Toisin sanoen se ilmoittaa, onko olemassa sellainen kokonaisluku *b*, että 

{\displaystyle {b^{2}}\equiv {a}{\mbox{ (mod }}p{\mbox{)}}}
eli *b*2:stä jää *p*:llä jaettaessa sama jakojäännös kuin *a*:stä.

Symbolin otti ensimmäisen kerran käyttöön Adrien-Marie Legendre vuonna 1798 yrittäessään todistaa neliönjäännöslausetta.

Määritelmä: Olkoon p pariton alkuluku ja a kokonaisuluku

{\displaystyle \left({\frac {a}{p}}\right)=(a\mid p)={\begin{cases}1&{\text{ jos }}a{\text{ on neliöjäännös modulo }}p{\text{ ja }}a\not \equiv 0{\pmod {p}},\\-1&{\text{muussa tapauksessa, eli jos }}a{\text{ ei ole neliöjäännös modulo }}p,\\0&{\text{jos }}a\equiv 0{\pmod {p}}\end{cases}}}

Symbolia voidaan merkitä sekä muodossa {\displaystyle \left({\frac {a}{p}}\right)} että {\displaystyle (a\mid p)}.

Esimerkiksi {\displaystyle \left({\frac {1}{5}}\right)=1}, koska esimerkiksi 42 = 16 on kongruentti 1:n kanssa modulo 5 eli sen jakojäännös 5:llä jaettaessa on 1. Sen sijaan {\displaystyle \left({\frac {3}{5}}\right)=-1}, koska minkään kokonaisluvun neliö ei ole kongruentti 3:n kanssa modulo 5. 

Jos alkuluku *p* on valittu, Legendren symboli {\displaystyle \left({\frac {1}{5}}\right)=1} käsitettynä *a*:n funktioksi on jaksollinen, jaksona *p*. Arvon 0 symboli saa, kun *a* on tasan jaollinen *p*:llä. 

Eulerin kriteerin mukaan {\displaystyle {\frac {a}{p}}\equiv a^{\frac {p-1}{2}}{\pmod {p}}} eli {\displaystyle {\frac {a}{p}}} ja {\displaystyle a^{\frac {p-1}{2}}} ovat kongruentteja modulo p. 

Jacobin symboli {\displaystyle \left({\frac {a}{n}}\right)} on yleistys Legendren symbolista. Se ottaa huomioon myös ne tapaukset joissa alempi luku ei ole alkuluku.

Taulukko symbolin arvoista
--------------------------

Seuraava taulukko osoittaa Legendren symbolin {\displaystyle \left({\frac {a}{p}}\right)} arvot kaikilla kokonaisluvuilla *a* väliltä 1 … 30 ja alkuluvuilla *p*, jotka ovat pienempiä kuin 128.

| ap | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| 3 | −1 | −1 | 0 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 13 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 |
| 29 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 |
| 37 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 |
| 41 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 43 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 47 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 |
| 53 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 |
| 59 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 |
| 61 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 67 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 |
| 71 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 |
| 73 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 79 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 83 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 89 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 97 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| 101 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 |
| 103 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 107 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 |
| 109 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 |
| 113 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 |
| 127 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 1 | 1 | −1 | −1 | −1 | 1 |

Lähteet
-------

1. ↑  Thompson, Jan, 1936-: *Matematiikan käsikirja*. Helsinki: Tammi, 1994. 186260492. ISBN 951-31-0471-0, 978-951-31-0471-9. Teoksen verkkoversio (viitattu 17.7.2020).
2. 1 2  Anna Kolehmainen: Johdatus neliöjäännöksiin, Pro gradu  2018. Oulun yliopisto, matemaattisten tieteiden laitos.
3. ↑  Eric W. Weisstein: Legendre Symbol *mathworld.wolfram.com*. Viitattu 17.7.2020. (englanniksi)
4. ↑  Matematiikan verkkosanakirja *matematiikkalehtisolmu.fi*. Viitattu 17.7.2020.

Kirjallisuutta
--------------

* Thompson, Jan & Martinsson, Thomas: *Matematiikan käsikirja*, s. 276–277. Suomentanut Virpi Kauko. Helsinki: Tammi, 1994. ISBN 951-31-0471-0.