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Number theory Difficulty 8.1 Shortlist Prove it Netherlands

Find all pairs of prime numbers (p,q)(p, q) for which there exist positive integers (m,n)(m, n) such that
(p+q)m=(pq)n. (p+q)^m = (p-q)^n.

Solution

The only divisor pqp-q and p+qp+q can have in common is 22, because pp and qq are different prime numbers. Indeed, a divisor dd of p+qp+q and pqp-q is also a divisor of (p+q)+(pq)=2p(p+q) + (p-q) = 2p and of (p+q)(pq)=2q(p+q) - (p-q) = 2q. And we know that gcd(2p,2q)=2\text{gcd}(2p, 2q) = 2, so dd must be a divisor of 22.

Since each prime divisor of pq|p-q| or p+qp+q must also be a prime divisor of the other, because of the equation, we now know that pq|p-q| and p+qp+q are both powers of 22 (unequal to 11). But the greatest common divisor is 22, so the smallest of the two (and this must be pq|p-q|) is equal to 22. So pq=2|p-q| = 2 and p+qp+q is a power of 22. So there is exactly one number between pp and qq, namely p+q2\frac{p+q}{2}. Since p+qp+q is a power of two, p+qp+q is not divisible by 33. So p+q2\frac{p+q}{2} is also not divisible by 33. Since of three consecutive numbers, one must be divisible by 33, it follows that pp or qq is divisible by 33. Since 11 is not a prime number, the minimum of pp and qq must equal 33 and the other must equal 55. We find two solutions, (p,q)=(3,5)(p,q) = (3,5) and (p,q)=(5,3)(p,q) = (5,3), both of which satisfy the equation. \square

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