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Bulgaria competition problems, 2022

Number theory Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Bulgaria

Find the smallest odd prime pp for which there exist positive co-prime integers kk and ℓ\ell, such that
4k−3ℓ=12andℓ2+ℓk+k2≡3(modp). 4k - 3\ell = 12 \quad \text{and} \quad \ell^2 + \ell k + k^2 \equiv 3 \pmod{p}.

Solution

From 4k=12+3ℓ4k = 12 + 3\ell, it follows k=3k1k = 3k_1, k1∈Nk_1 \in \mathbb{N}. Analogously, ℓ=4ℓ1\ell = 4\ell_1, ℓ1∈N\ell_1 \in \mathbb{N}. Assuming p=3p = 3 gives rise to 3∣k3 \mid k and 3∣ℓ2+ℓk+k2⇒3∣ℓ⇒(k,ℓ)≥3>13 \mid \ell^2 + \ell k + k^2 \Rightarrow 3 \mid \ell \Rightarrow (k, \ell) \ge 3 > 1, a contradiction with (k,ℓ)=1(k, \ell) = 1. Thus, p>3p > 3, (3,p)=1(3, p) = 1, and
ℓ2+ℓk+k2≡3(modp)  ⟺  9ℓ2+9ℓk+9k2≡27(modp)  ⟺  (4k−12)2+(4k−12)3k+9k2≡27(modp)  ⟺  16k2−96k+144+12k2−36k+9k2−27≡0(modp)  ⟺  37k2−132k+117≡0(modp)  ⟺  (37k)2−2⋅66⋅37⋅k+117⋅37≡0(modp)  ⟺  (37k−66)2≡662−117⋅37≡27(modp)  ⟺  (37k1−22)2≡3(modp), \begin{aligned} \ell^2 + \ell k + k^2 \equiv 3 \pmod{p} &\iff 9\ell^2 + 9\ell k + 9k^2 \equiv 27 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff (4k - 12)^2 + (4k - 12)3k + 9k^2 \equiv 27 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff 16k^2 - 96k + 144 + 12k^2 - 36k + 9k^2 - 27 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff 37k^2 - 132k + 117 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff (37k)^2 - 2 \cdot 66 \cdot 37 \cdot k + 117 \cdot 37 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff (37k - 66)^2 \equiv 66^2 - 117 \cdot 37 \equiv 27 \pmod{p} \\ &\iff (37k_1 - 22)^2 \equiv 3 \pmod{p}, \end{aligned}
meaning that 3 must be a quadratic residue modulo pp. Since the quadratic residues mod 5 and mod 7 are respectively {0,1,4}\{0, 1, 4\} and {0,1,2,4}\{0, 1, 2, 4\}, 3 is not among them and p∉{5,7}p \notin \{5, 7\}, i.e., p≥11p \ge 11. For p=11p = 11, 11∣2211 \mid 22 and 37≡4(mod11)37 \equiv 4 \pmod{11}. Therefore, it suffices to find a solution for (4k1)2≡3(mod11)(4k_1)^2 \equiv 3 \pmod{11}, which modulo 11 is equivalent to k12≡5(mod11)k_1^2 \equiv 5 \pmod{11}, i.e., k1=11k2+4k_1 = 11k_2 + 4 or k1=11k2+7k_1 = 11k_2 + 7. We have to additionally assure (k,ℓ)=1(k, \ell) = 1. We know that k1=1+ℓ1k_1 = 1 + \ell_1, thus (k1,ℓ1)=1(k_1, \ell_1) = 1. Therefore, it suffices to take (k1,4)=1(k_1, 4) = 1 and (ℓ1,3)=1(\ell_1, 3) = 1, e.g., k1=15k_1 = 15. Then ℓ1=14\ell_1 = 14, k=45k = 45, ℓ=56\ell = 56, (k,ℓ)=1(k, \ell) = 1, and from k≡ℓ≡1(mod11)k \equiv \ell \equiv 1 \pmod{11} we check that
ℓ2+ℓk+k2≡12+1⋅1+12≡3(mod11). \ell^2 + \ell k + k^2 \equiv 1^2 + 1 \cdot 1 + 1^2 \equiv 3 \pmod{11}.
In conclusion, the answer is p=11p = 11.

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