Number theoryDifficulty 5.6AIME, harderProve itIndia
Problem: Find all primes p and q, and even numbers n>2, satisfying the equation pn+pn−1+⋯+p+1=q2+q+1
Solution
Solution: Obviously p=q. We write this in the form p(pn−1+pn−2+⋯+1)=q(q+1) If q≤pn/2−1, then q<pn/2 and hence we see that q2<pn. Thus we obtain q2+q<pn+pn/2<pn+pn−1+⋯+p since n>2. It follows that q≥pn/2. Since n>2 and is an even number, n/2 is a natural number larger than 1. This implies that q=pn/2 by the given condition that q is a prime. We conclude that q≥pn/2+1. We may also write the above relation in the form p(pn/2−1)(pn/2+1)=(p−1)q(q+1) This shows that q divides (pn/2−1)(pn/2+1). But q≥pn/2+1 and q is a prime. Hence the only possibility is q=pn/2+1. This gives p(pn/2−1)=(p−1)(q+1)=(p−1)(pn/2+2) Simplification leads to 3p=pn/2+2. This shows that p divides 2. Thus p=2 and hence q=5,n=4. It is easy to verify that these indeed satisfy the given equation.
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