CHECK: Let p be a prime number. Show that $\binom{2p}{p}$ is congruent to $2$ mod $p$. PROBLEM: Let p be a prime number. Show that the binomial coefficient $\binom{2p}{p}$ is congruent to $2$ mod p.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
$\binom{2p}{p}=\frac{(2p)!}{p!(2p-p)!}=\frac{(2p)!}{p!p!}=\frac{2*4*..*2p}{p!p!}=\frac{2(1*2*..*p)}{p!p!}=\frac{2*p!}{p!p!}=\frac{2}{p!} \equiv 2 \mod p$
I am unsure of my last step. Can someone tell me if I am correct or not?
 A: An alternative proof is to use the good old identity
$$\binom{2p}{p}=\sum_{j=0}^p\binom{p}{j}^2,$$
and to note that $\binom{p}{j}\equiv 0\pmod{p}$ for $0<j<p$ and $\equiv 1\pmod{p}$ for $j=0,p$.
A: When one does number theory, "fractions" can easily lead to error, it is better to keep things "flat." Let $w=\binom{2p}{p}$. Then 
$$(2p)!=wp!p!.$$
Note that $(2p)!=(2p)(2p-1)(2p-2)\cdots (p+1)p!$. Substituting, and doing a bit of cancelling, we get
$$(2)(p+1)(p+2)\cdots (2p-1)=w(p-1)!.$$
But note that $(p+1)(p+2)\cdots (2p-1)\equiv (p-1)!\pmod{p}$. Since $(p-1)!\not\equiv 0\pmod{p}$, we can cancel, and obtain $w\equiv 2\pmod{p}$.
Remark: The solution by mathse is nicer, and yields immediately the improved congruence $\binom{2p}{p}\equiv 2\pmod{p^2}$. This is also obtainable with the approach above. The result holds for $p=2$. And when $p\gt 2$, the product $(p+1)(p+2)\cdots (2p-1)$ is congruent to $(1)(2)\cdots(p-1)$ modulo $p^2$. For imagine multiplying out $(p+1)(p+2)\cdots (p+p-1)$. We get some terms that involve powers of $p\ge 2$, and the term $p(1+2+\cdots +(p-1))$, and finally the term $(1)(2)\cdots(p-1)$. If $p$ is odd, then $1+2+\cdots +(p-1)$ is divisible by $p$
A: First verify that it's true for the only even prime $2$.
$\displaystyle \binom{4}{2} = 6 \equiv 2 \pmod 2$
That leaves you to prove it only for odd prime $p$.
$\displaystyle \binom{2p}{p} = \frac{(2p)!}{p!p!} = \frac{(2p)(2p-1)...(2)(1)}{p!(p)(p-1)...(2)(1)}$
Cancelling terms, we get:
$\displaystyle \frac{(2p)(2p-1)...(p+1)}{p!} = \frac{(2p)(2p-1)...[2p-(p-1)]}{p!} = 2\frac{(2p-1)...[2p-(p-1)]}{(p-1)!}$
Working $\mod p$, the expression becomes:
$\displaystyle 2\frac{(-1)(-2)...[-(p-1)]}{(p-1)!}$
Since $p$ is an odd prime, there are an even number of terms in the numerator, so the expression is:
$\displaystyle 2\frac{(p-1)!}{(p-1)!} = 2$
Hence $\displaystyle \binom{2p}{p} \equiv 2 \pmod{p}$, as required.
