Olympiad Maths Prep

Library / /2 of 2

Number theory Difficulty 4.2 AIME Prove it Turkey

Show that if mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers, then
n4+mm2+n2andn4mm2n2 \frac{n^4 + m}{m^2 + n^2} \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{n^4 - m}{m^2 - n^2}
can not be integers simultaneously.

Solution

Assume the contrary. The sum of the numbers is
2n2m(n2m1)(m2+n2)(m2n2) \frac{2n^2m(n^2m-1)}{(m^2+n^2)(m^2-n^2)}
Since mm and nn are relatively prime, we have
gcd(n2m,m2+n2)=gcd(n2m,m2n2)=1. \gcd(n^2m, m^2+n^2) = \gcd(n^2m, m^2-n^2) = 1.
Then we obtain (m2+n2)(m2n2)2(n2m1)(m^2+n^2)(m^2-n^2) \mid 2(n^2m-1). Note that m,n1m, n \ge 1 and we can not have m=n=1m=n=1, and hence n2m1>0n^2m-1 > 0. Therefore, (m2+n2)(m2n2)2(n2m1)<2n2m|(m^2+n^2)(m^2-n^2)| \le 2(n^2m-1) < 2n^2m. As m2+n2>n2m^2+n^2 > n^2, we get m2n2<2m|m^2-n^2| < 2m, and thus, (m1)21<n2<(m+1)21(m-1)^2-1 < n^2 < (m+1)^2-1. So we have n2=m2n^2 = m^2 or n2=(m1)2n^2 = (m-1)^2. It is clear that n2=m2n^2 = m^2 is impossible. Hence, n2=(m1)2n^2 = (m-1)^2 which yields n=m1n = m-1. But in that case we obtain that one of the given numbers is not an integer, contradiction.

Looking for a route rather than 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 and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.