Number theoryDifficulty 3.2AMC 10/12Prove itGreece
If v is a positive integer and the number v(v+3) is a perfect square, prove that v is not a multiple of 3.
Solution
Let v(v+3)=w2, w∈Z. We assume that: v=3κ, κ∈N∗. Then we have: v(v+3)=3κ(3κ+3)=9κ(κ+1)=w2⇔3⋅3κ(κ+1)=w2⇒3∣w2 from which, since 3 is a prime, it follows that 3∣w. Hence κ(κ+1)=(3w)2, with 3w∈Z, and thus we have κ2<κ(κ+1)=(3w)2<(κ+1)2⇒κ<3w<κ+1, a contradiction. Hence v is not a multiple of 3.
Alternative solution: Let v(v+3)=w2, w∈Z. Then we have v2+2v+1≤v2+3v<v2+4v+4⇒(v+1)2≤w2<(v+2)2,w∈Z⇒w=v+1 if w=−(v+1). It follows that v(v+3)=(v+1)2⇔3v=2v+1⇔v=1=πoλ.3.
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