Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /10 of 21

Number theory Difficulty 6.9 National Olympiad Prove it South Korea

Let nn be a positive integer. Prove that there are infinitely many triples of integers (x,y,z)(x, y, z) each of which satisfies nx2+y3=z4nx^2 + y^3 = z^4, (x,y)=(y,z)=(z,x)=1(x, y) = (y, z) = (z, x) = 1.

Solution

y3=z4nx2=(z2nx)(z2+nx).(1) y^3 = z^4 - nx^2 = (z^2 - \sqrt{nx})(z^2 + \sqrt{nx}). \quad (1)
For y=s2nt2y = s^2 - nt^2 with (n,t)=1(n, t) = 1, we have
y3=(s33ns2t+3nst2nnt3)(s3+3ns2t+3nst2+nnt3)=(z2nx)(z2+nx), \begin{aligned} y^3 &= (s^3 - 3\sqrt{n}s^2t + 3nst^2 - n\sqrt{nt^3})(s^3 + 3\sqrt{n}s^2t + 3nst^2 + n\sqrt{nt^3}) \\ &= (z^2 - \sqrt{nx})(z^2 + \sqrt{nx}), \end{aligned}
so any (x,z)(x, z) satisfying
z2=s3+3nst2,(2) z^2 = s^3 + 3nst^2, \quad (2)
x=3s2t+nt3(3) x = 3s^2t + nt^3 \quad (3)
satisfies the equation (1). One can always find xx satisfying the equation (3), so let us show that there are infinitely many zz satisfying equation (2). Let us divide the problem into two cases:

1. If 3n3n is not a square number, put s=1s = 1. Then equation (2) becomes a Pell's equation
z23nt2=1.(4) z^2 - 3nt^2 = 1. \quad (4)
We know that there are infinitely many solutions of Pell's equation, and if (z1,t1)(z_1, t_1) is the pair of smallest positive integers which is a solution of the equation, each (k(k-th) positive integral solution (zk,tk)(z_k, t_k) of the equation satisfies
zk+3ntk=(z1+3nt1)k.(5) z_k + \sqrt{3nt_k} = (z_1 + \sqrt{3nt_1})^k. \quad (5)
Now let us prove that there are infinitely many (zk,tk)(z_k, t_k) such that
xk=3tk+ntk3,yk=1ntk2,zk=(1+3ntk2) x_k = 3t_k + nt_k^3, \quad y_k = 1 - nt_k^2, \quad z_k = (1 + 3nt_k^2)
are relatively prime to each other.
(xk,zk)(xk,zk2)=(tk(3+ntk2),1+3ntk2)=(3+ntk2,1+3ntk2)((tk,1+3ntk2)=1)=(3+ntk2,8)=1 or 2, (x_k, z_k) \quad |(x_k, z_k^2) = (t_k(3 + nt_k^2), 1 + 3nt_k^2) \\ = (3 + nt_k^2, 1 + 3nt_k^2) (\because (t_k, 1 + 3nt_k^2) = 1) = (3 + nt_k^2, -8) = 1 \text{ or } 2,
(yk,zk)(yk,zk2)=(1ntk2,1+3ntk2)=(1ntk2,4)=1 or 2, (y_k, z_k) \quad |(y_k, z_k^2) = (1 - nt_k^2, 1 + 3nt_k^2) = (1 - nt_k^2, 4) = 1 \text{ or } 2,
(xk,yk)=(3tk+ntk3,1ntk2)=(4tk,1ntk2)=(4,1ntk2)=1 or 2((tk,1ntk2)=1). (x_k, y_k) = (3t_k + nt_k^3, 1 - nt_k^2) = (4t_k, 1 - nt_k^2) = (4, 1 - nt_k^2) = 1 \text{ or } 2 \\ (\because (t_k, 1 - nt_k^2) = 1).
Therefore, if nn is even or tkt_k is even, we have (xk,yk)=(yk,zk)=(zk,xk)=1(x_k, y_k) = (y_k, z_k) = (z_k, x_k) = 1. In the equation (5), one can easily check that if kk is even, tkt_k is even. Therefore, there are infinitely many (zk,tk)(z_k, t_k) which gives us the solution of nx2+y3=z4nx^2 + y^3 = z^4 and (x,y)=(y,z)=(z,x)=1(x, y) = (y, z) = (z, x) = 1.

2. If 3n=m23n = m^2 for some positive integer mm, put s=u2,z=uvs = u^2, z = uv. Then the equation (2) becomes
u4=v23nt2=(vmt)(v+mt).(6) u^4 = v^2 - 3nt^2 = (v - mt)(v + mt). \qquad (6)
One can easily check that for each positive integer kk,
(uk=2mk+1,tk=uk41m,vk=mtk+1) \left( u_k = 2mk + 1, t_k = \frac{u_k^4 - 1}{m}, v_k = mt_k + 1 \right)
is a triple of integers satisfying the equation (6). Note that uku_k is odd, tkt_k is even, and
(uk,ntk)(uk,3ntk)=(uk,muk4m)=(uk,m)=1, (u_k, nt_k) \quad |(u_k, 3nt_k) = (u_k, m u_k^4 - m) = (u_k, m) = 1,
(uk,ntk)=1, \therefore (u_k, nt_k) = 1,
(tk,vk)=(tk,mtk+1)=1. (t_k, v_k) = (t_k, mt_k + 1) = 1.
Now the triple
(xk=3uk4tk+ntk3,yk=uk4ntk2,zk=ukvk=uk(mtk+1)) (x_k = 3u_k^4 t_k + nt_k^3, y_k = u_k^4 - nt_k^2, z_k = u_k v_k = u_k(mt_k + 1))
satisfies the equation (1). We have to show (xk,yk)=(yk,zk)=(zk,xk)=1(x_k, y_k) = (y_k, z_k) = (z_k, x_k) = 1.
(xk,yk)=(3uk4tk+ntk3,uk4ntk2)=(4uk4tk,uk4ntk2)=(4,uk4ntk2)=1((uk4,uk4ntk2)=(tk,uk4ntk2)=1,uk is odd,tk is even) (x_k, y_k) = (3u_k^4 t_k + nt_k^3, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = (4u_k^4 t_k, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = (4, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = 1 \\ (\therefore (u_k^4, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = (t_k, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = 1, u_k \text{ is odd}, t_k \text{ is even})
(yk,zk)=(uk4ntk2,ukvk)=(uk4ntk2,vk)(uk4ntk2,vk2=uk4+3ntk2)=(uk4ntk2,4ntk2)=(uk4ntk2,4)=1,((ntk2,uk4ntk2)=1,uk is odd,tk is even) \begin{aligned} (y_k, z_k) &= (u_k^4 - nt_k^2, u_k v_k) = (u_k^4 - nt_k^2, v_k) | (u_k^4 - nt_k^2, v_k^2 = u_k^4 + 3nt_k^2) \\ &= (u_k^4 - nt_k^2, 4nt_k^2) = (u_k^4 - nt_k^2, 4) = 1, \\ (\therefore (nt_k^2, u_k^4 - nt_k^2) = 1, u_k \text{ is odd}, t_k \text{ is even}) \end{aligned}
(zk,xk)=(3uk4tk+ntk3,ukvk)=(3uk4+ntk2,ukvk)=(3uk4+ntk2,vk)(3uk4+ntk2,vk2=uk4+3ntk2)=(8ntk2,uk4+3ntk2)=(8,uk4+3ntk2)=1((ntk2,uk4+3ntk2)=1,uk is odd,tk is even). \begin{aligned} (z_k, x_k) &= (3u_k^4 t_k + nt_k^3, u_k v_k) = (3u_k^4 + nt_k^2, u_k v_k) \\ &= (3u_k^4 + nt_k^2, v_k) | (3u_k^4 + nt_k^2, v_k^2 = u_k^4 + 3nt_k^2) \\ &= (-8nt_k^2, u_k^4 + 3nt_k^2) = (8, u_k^4 + 3nt_k^2) = 1 \\ (\therefore (nt_k^2, u_k^4 + 3nt_k^2) = 1, u_k \text{ is odd}, t_k \text{ is even}). \end{aligned}
So we have (xk,yk)=(yk,zk)=(zk,xk)=1(x_k, y_k) = (y_k, z_k) = (z_k, x_k) = 1. Therefore we can find infinitely many triples of integers (xk,yk,zk)(x_k, y_k, z_k) with (xk,yk)=(yk,zk)=(zk,xk)=1(x_k, y_k) = (y_k, z_k) = (z_k, x_k) = 1 which satisfies the equation (1).

From above, in any cases, we can find infinitely many integral solutions of the equation nx2+y3=z4nx^2 + y^3 = z^4, (x,y)=(y,z)=(z,x)=1(x, y) = (y, z) = (z, x) = 1. This completes the proof. □

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.