Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Iran

Find all of the solutions of the following equation in natural numbers:
nnn=mm.n^{n^n} = m^m.

Solution

We start with a lemma.
Lemma 1. Let nn be a positive integer and p,qp, q some positive rational numbers. If np=qn^p = q, then qq is itself an integer.
Proof. Suppose p=abp = \frac{a}{b} and q=cdq = \frac{c}{d} where a,b,c,dNa, b, c, d \in \mathbb{N}. We have
np=qnab=cdna=(cd)b=cbdbdbcbdcqN n^p = q \Rightarrow n^{\frac{a}{b}} = \frac{c}{d} \Rightarrow n^a = \left(\frac{c}{d}\right)^b = \frac{c^b}{d^b} \Rightarrow d^b \mid c^b \Rightarrow d \mid c \Rightarrow q \in \mathbb{N}

Now for the main problem, note that if n=1n = 1, then m=n=1m = n = 1 and this is a solution for the equation. So we may assume that n>1n > 1. Let r=lognmr = \log_n m, (m=nrm = n^r). We have
nnn=mm=(nr)nr=nrnr n^{nn} = m^m = (n^r)^{nr} = n^{rnr}
Since n>1n > 1, we must have
nn=rnrr=nnr n^n = rn^r \Rightarrow r = n^{n-r}
On the other hand, since nnn=mmn^{n^n} = m^m, we get nn=mlognm=rn^n = m \log_n m = r or r=nnmQr = \frac{n^n}{m} \in \mathbb{Q}. According to the lemma nrn - r and rr playing the role of pp and qq, respectively, we get rr is an integer. Now if r<nr < n, then nnrn1>r=nnrn^{n-r} \ge n^1 > r = n^{n-r}, which is impossible. And if r>nr > n, then nnr<1r=nnrn^{n-r} < 1 \le r = n^{n-r} which is again impossible.
So we must have n=rn = r. Hence, n=r=nnr=1n = r = n^{n-r} = 1. This contradicts with the assumption n>1n > 1 and consequently, the only solution is m=n=1m = n = 1.

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