Olympiad Maths Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 8.0 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Determine the positive integers expressible in the form x2+yxy+1\dfrac{x^2 + y}{xy + 1}, for at least two pairs (x,y)(x, y) of positive integers.

Solution

We show that 11 is the only positive integer satisfying the condition in the statement. Clearly, 1=12+y1y+11 = \dfrac{1^2 + y}{1 \cdot y + 1} for any positive integer yy, so 11 is expressible in the required form for infinitely many pairs of positive integers.

Next, we prove that any integer n2n \ge 2 is uniquely expressible in the required form. Letting x=n2x = n^2 and y=ny = n, it is readily checked that x2+yxy+1=n\dfrac{x^2 + y}{xy + 1} = n, so nn is indeed expressible in the required form.

To prove uniqueness, let xx and yy be positive integers such that x2+yxy+1=n\dfrac{x^2 + y}{xy + 1} = n. Alternatively, but equivalently, x2nxy+yn=0x^2 - nxy + y - n = 0, so the discriminant Δ=n2y2+4n4y\Delta = n^2y^2 + 4n - 4y is a perfect square. It is readily checked that (ny2)2<Δ<(ny+2)2(ny - 2)^2 < \Delta < (ny + 2)^2, so Δ=(ny±1)2\Delta = (ny \pm 1)^2 or Δ=n2y2\Delta = n^2y^2. The former case is ruled out by noticing that Δn2y2=4(ny)\Delta - n^2y^2 = 4(n - y) is even, and the latter yields y=ny = n, so x=n2x = n^2.

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