Number theoryDifficulty 5.7AIME, harderProve itSaudi Arabia
Let p, q be two different odd prime numbers and n an integer such that pq divides npq+1. Prove that if p3q3 divides npq+1 then either p2 divides n+1 or q2 divides n+1.
Solution
Because pq divides npq+1, neither p nor q divides n. Assume p<q. We have from Fermat's little theorem 0≡npq+1≡nq+1(modp). Therefore n2q≡1(modp). But np−1≡1(modp) and gcd(p−1,q)=1, since p−1<q and q is prime. We deduce that n2≡1(modp) and hence p divides n+1. Let n+1=ap for an integer a. We have npq−1−npq−2+⋯−n+1≡i=0∑pq−1(1−ap)i≡i=0∑pq−1(1−iap)≡pq−2pq−1ap2q≡pq≡0(modp2). Therefore p2 does not divide npq−1−npq−2+⋯−n+1 and since p3 divides npq+1=(n+1)(npq−1−npq−2+⋯−n+1), then p2 divides n+1.
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Source: MathNet,
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