**Update**: there is a serious gap in the reasoning after applying [Bézout's identity][1], which concludes that there exists $d$ and $k$ with $ed+\phi(pq)k=1$. The fragment _"where $d$ appears as the multiplicative inverse of $e$"_ attempts to link the $d$ thus exhibited to the $d$ used in RSA. But why would these $d$ share more than their name, especially since the $d$ and $k$ exhibited by Bézout's identity are not unique, and (at least the usual form of) Bézout's identity does not state a relation between these multiple solutions? We want either a different statement of Bézout's identity, or getting rid of it altogether. That's easy: start from the definition of $d$ in RSA (whatever that is), and prove that a suitable $k$ must exist, using fact 3 below. ___ It is thought to prove that in RSA, decryption consistently reverses encryption. But [hypothesis at time of starting this answer][2] where insufficient for that, as they did not insure that $$\;p\ne q\;\text{ or }\;\gcd(m,pq)=1\;$$ This is required in RSA (illustration: try $p=q=5$, $\phi(pq)=20$, $e=3$, $d=7$; encryption of $m=10$ followed by decryption yields $0$ rather than $10$ ). Now $p\ne q$ is made explicit, satisfying said requirement. But it is not apparent where this is used. Not coincidentally, the proof still has a serious gap at the point where $1^k$ appears, which implicitly uses that $m^{\phi(pq)}\equiv1\pmod{pq}$, because: - This proposition is wrong for some $m$, including $m=2q$ . - [Fermat's little theorem][3] is invoked as a justification, but an hypothesis in FLT is that the modulus is prime, while $pq$ is not. - FLT makes no mention of $\phi$ , and the definition of $\phi$ is not invoked in the proof. ___ Useful standard facts (for all variables in $\mathbb Z$ unless otherwise noted): 1. If $p$ and $q$ are coprime, then $pq$ divides $x$ if and only if both $p$ and $q$ divide $x$ . 2. If $p$ and $q$ are distinct primes, then $p$ and $q$ are coprime. 3. The definition of $u\equiv v\pmod w$ is that $w$ divide $v-u$ ; or equivalently that there exists $k$ such that $u+kw=v$. 4. For $w>0$, the definition of $u=v\bmod w$ used in RSA encryption and decryption is that $u\equiv v\pmod w$ and $0\le u<w$ . 5. FLT: if $p$ is prime, then $y^p\equiv y\pmod p$ . That allows deriving the helpful: - if $p$ and $q$ are distinct primes, and both $p-1$ and $q-1$ divide $j-1$, and $j>1$, then $y^j\equiv y\pmod{pq}$ . Proof hint: use fact 1 with $x=y^j-y$ , and other above facts. ___ Independently: it is used, but not stated, that the definition of RSA considered uses $d$ such that $ed\equiv1\pmod{\phi(pq)}$ . Another popular definition uses $ed\equiv1\pmod{\lambda(pq)}$ , where $\lambda$ is the [Carmichael function][4]. This definition is used in PKCS#1 and FIPS 186-4. It is mathematically satisfying, for it is necessary and sufficient, when $ed\equiv1\pmod{\phi(pq)}$ is merely sufficient. Also, the proof would be clearer if it was restated: - $p$ and $q$ are primes; - the definition of $d$ used in RSA, and the definition of $\phi$ or $\lambda$ if they appear (in which case those are bound to be used in a correct proof!) - $N=pq$ ; - whatever hypothesis on $m$ (commonly, that is $0\le m<N$, with further restriction to $\gcd(m,N)=1$ if the condition $p\ne q$ is not used); - use of textbook RSA encryption $m\to c=m^e\bmod N$ ; - use of textbook RSA decryption $c\to m'=c^d\bmod N$ (with a distinct notation for the original message and deciphered messages); - what's to be demonstrated (this answer assumes that it is $m'=m$ for all $m$ satisfying the hypothesis made on $m$ ). Also: there's a missing bit of reasoning, going from $m'\equiv m\pmod N$ to $m'=m$ . Finally: textbook RSA is not a secure encryption algorithm (assume encryption of the name of someone in the class roll, which will be interrogated tomorrow; one can easily determine from the ciphertext and public key if that's her/him, or even who this is if the class roll is public). [1]: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BezoutsIdentity.html [2]: https://crypto.stackexchange.com/revisions/51284/4 [3]: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/FermatsLittleTheorem.html [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmichael_function