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Macedonian Mathematical Competitions

Number theory Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it North Macedonia

Prove that if a+ba−1ba+\frac{b}{a}-\frac{1}{b} is an integer, then it is a perfect square, where a,b∈Na,b \in \mathbb{N}.

Solution

Let a,b∈Na,b \in \mathbb{N} and a+ba−1b=k∈Za+\frac{b}{a}-\frac{1}{b}=k \in \mathbb{Z}. From a2b+b2−a=kaba^2b+b^2-a=kab, we get that b∣ab|a. Let a=bqa=bq, q>0q>0, q∈Zq \in \mathbb{Z}. Then b3q2+b2−bq=kb2qb^3q^2+b^2-bq=kb^2q, and after dividing with bb (b>0b>0) we have b2q2+b−q=kbqb^2q^2+b-q=kbq, therefore q∣bq|b. Let b=qtb=qt, t>0t>0, t∈Zt \in \mathbb{Z}. Then q4t2+qt−q=kq2tq^4t^2+qt-q=kq^2t, and after dividing with qq (q>0q>0), we have q3t2+t−1=kqtq^3t^2+t-1=kqt, therefore t∣1t|1 and t>0t>0, so t=1t=1. Since b=qtb=qt and t=1t=1, we have b=qb=q. From a=bqa=bq and b=qb=q, we have a=b2a=b^2. Finally k=a+ba−1bk=a+\frac{b}{a}-\frac{1}{b} and a=b2a=b^2 we have k=b2+bb2−1b=b2k=b^2+\frac{b}{b^2}-\frac{1}{b}=b^2.

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