Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /532 of 740

, 2013

Number theory Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:
Let pp, qq, rr, ss be distinct primes such that pqrsp q - r s is divisible by 3030. Find the minimum possible value of p+q+r+sp + q + r + s.

Solution

Solution:
Answer: 5454

The key is to realize none of the primes can be 22, 33, or 55, or else we would have to use one of them twice. Hence pp, qq, rr, ss must lie among 77, 1111, 1313, 1717, 1919, 2323, 2929, .\ldots. These options give remainders of 11 (mod2)(\bmod 2) (obviously), 11, 1-1, 11, 1-1, 11, 1-1, 1-1, \ldots modulo 33, and 22, 11, 33, 22, 44, 33, 44, \ldots modulo 55.

We automatically have 2pqrs2 \mid p q - r s, and we have 3pqrs3 \mid p q - r s if and only if pqrs(pq)21p q r s \equiv (p q)^2 \equiv 1 (mod3)(\bmod 3), i.e. there are an even number of 1-1 (mod3)(\bmod 3)'s among pp, qq, rr, ss.

If {p,q,r,s}={7,11,13,17}\{p, q, r, s\} = \{7, 11, 13, 17\}, then we cannot have 5pqrs5 \mid p q - r s, or else 12pqrs(pq)2(mod5)12 \equiv p q r s \equiv (p q)^2 (\bmod 5) is a quadratic residue. Our next smallest choice (in terms of p+q+r+sp + q + r + s) is {7,11,17,19}\{7, 11, 17, 19\}, which works: 71711192240(mod5)7 \cdot 17 - 11 \cdot 19 \equiv 2^2 - 4 \equiv 0 (\bmod 5). This gives an answer of 7+17+11+19=547 + 17 + 11 + 19 = 54.

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