Why is the sum modulo n of elements in $\mathbb{Z}_n^*$ equal to 0? I'm talking about the set
$$\mathbb{Z}_n^* = \{x \in \mathbb{Z}_n : \text{gcd}(x,n)=1\}$$
I noticed that for $n>2$, if you add all the elements in the set, you get $0\mod{n}$. Can someone explain why this is? I also noticed that if $a$ is in the set, then so is $n-a$, but how can I go about showing that $\text{gcd}(n-a,n)=1$?
For example, $$\mathbb{Z}_8^* = \{1,3,5,7\}$$
And $1+7 = 8$, $3+5=8$. So $1+3+5+7 \equiv_8 0$
 A: Your remark is what you need.
Assume that $a \in \mathbb{Z}_n^*$ and some integer $k > 1$ divide both $n-a$ and $n$. Then $k$ would divide their difference $n - (n-a) = a$. Hence $k$ divide $n$ and $a$ and hence $a$ cannot belong to the set. Thus $n-a \in \mathbb{Z}_n^*$
Now you just need to observe that $a + (n-a) = n = 0$ in $\mathbb{Z}_n^*$ and
$$
\sum_{a \in \mathbb{Z}_n^*} a = \sum_{a \in \mathbb{Z}_n^*, a < n/2} (a + n-a) = 0.
$$
A: This is an edit of my previous answer.
The following proof is incomplete and more complex than the simple argument that uses the simmetry $a\to-a$ of $\Bbb Z_n^\times$ employed, but is possibly the simplest case of a useful argument.
Assume first that $n=p$ is a prime.
Let $x\in\Bbb Z_p^\times$. The multiplication by $x$ (i.e. the map $a\mapsto ax$) defines a permutation of $\Bbb Z_p$ which restricts to a permutation of $\Bbb Z_p^\times$. Therefore
$$
\sum_{a\in\Bbb Z_p^\times}a=
\sum_{a\in\Bbb Z_p^\times}(xa)=
x\sum_{a\in\Bbb Z_p^\times}a.
$$
If $n\neq2$ we can always choose $x\neq1$ and the above identity shows that
$\sum_{a\in\Bbb Z_p^\times}a$ must be $0$.
If $n$ is not prime the problem is that a congruence
$$
xA\equiv A\bmod n\qquad\qquad(*)
$$
does not imply $A\equiv 0\bmod n$ even when $x\neq1$ is invertible in $\Bbb Z_n$ because $A$ may not be cancelled. The latter situation happens when $A\notin\Bbb Z_n^\times$, i.e. ${\rm gcd}(A,n)>1$.
So, assume $A\not\equiv0\bmod n$ and write $d={\rm gcd}(A,n)$, $A=Bd$ and $n=dm$ and note that ${\rm gcd}(B,m)=1$. The congruence $(*)$ becomes
$$
xB\equiv B\bmod m
$$
which now implies $x\equiv1\bmod m$ because $B\in\Bbb Z_m^\times$.
But the latter conclusion contradicts the possibility to choose
$1\neq x\in\Bbb Z_m^\times$ when $m\neq2$, which is guaranteed by the fact that the canonical map
$$
\Bbb Z_n^\times\longrightarrow\Bbb Z_m^\times
$$
is surjective.
In particular this proves the result when $n$ is odd and leaves open the only possibility that
$$
\sum_{a\in\Bbb Z_{2m}^\times}a=m
$$
in $\Bbb Z_{2m}$.
A: Every common divisor of $n-a$ and $n$ is also a common divisor of $a$ and $n$. This shows that if $a$ is in $(\mathbb Z/n\mathbb Z)^\times$ then also $n-a$ is in this set. The pair $(a,n-a)$ sums up to $n$ which is congruent to $0$ modulo $n$. Also, the numbers $a$ and $n-a$ are distinct since $a \equiv n-a \pmod n$ would imply $n|2a$, hence $n|2$ (because $n$ and $a$ are coprime). For $n\neq 2$ this is a contradiction. For $n=2$, however, the statement is actually false since $(\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z)^\times = \{1\}$ which does not sum up to $0$ modulo $2$.
A: If $d$ divides both $n-a$ and $n$ then it divides their difference, $n-(n-a)$, which is $a$. 
A: Hint $ $ Negation $\rm\:n\to -n\:$ is an involution $\rm\:-(-n) \equiv n,$ so the cycles (orbits) of this permutation have length $2$ or $1.\ $ But length $1$ is not possible since $\rm\: -a \equiv a\:$ $\Rightarrow$ $\rm\:n\:|\:2a\:$ $\Rightarrow$ $\rm\:n\:|\:2,\:$ by $\rm\:(n,a)=1.\ $  Thus all cycles have length $\,2\,$ so have form $\rm\:(\color{#c00}{a,\,-a}).\:$ These cycles partition $\Bbb Z_n^*$  into pairs, and each pair sums to $\,\rm \,0 \equiv \color{#c00}{a -a},\,$  hence the entire sum is also $\,\equiv 0$.
This is a prototypical example of Wilson's theorem for groups.
A: Observe that if $\gcd(n-a,n)=d$ then $d|n$ and $d|(n-a)$. Since $d|n$, we have $d|a$. Hence $d|\gcd(n,a)=1$. So you have $d=1$.
