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Number theory Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Greece

Find all values of the positive integer vv for which there exist triads (α,β,γ)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) of positive integers satisfying the equation
α+β+γ=vαβγ.(E) \alpha + \beta + \gamma = v\alpha\beta\gamma. \qquad (E)
For these values find all solutions of the equation (E).

Solution

Since the equation is symmetric with respect to α,β,γ\alpha, \beta, \gamma we suppose that αβγ\alpha \ge \beta \ge \gamma. Then we have:
αα+β+γ3ααvαβγ3α1vβγ3. \alpha \le \alpha + \beta + \gamma \le 3\alpha \Leftrightarrow \alpha \le v\alpha\beta\gamma \le 3\alpha \Rightarrow 1 \le v\beta\gamma \le 3.

We distinguish the following cases:
v>3v > 3. Then vβγ>3v\beta\gamma > 3, absurd.
v=3v = 3. Then 13βγ3βγ=1β=γ=11 \le 3\beta\gamma \le 3 \Rightarrow \beta\gamma = 1 \Rightarrow \beta = \gamma = 1, and hence
α+2=3αα=1. \alpha + 2 = 3\alpha \Leftrightarrow \alpha = 1.
Therefore we get the solution: (α,β,γ)=(1,1,1)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) = (1,1,1).
v=2v = 2. Then 12βγ3βγ=1β=γ=11 \le 2\beta\gamma \le 3 \Rightarrow \beta\gamma = 1 \Rightarrow \beta = \gamma = 1, and
α+2=2αα=2. \alpha + 2 = 2\alpha \Leftrightarrow \alpha = 2.
Therefore we get the solution (α,β,γ)=(2,1,1)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) = (2,1,1) and using symmetry we obtain the solutions (α,β,γ)=(1,2,1)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) = (1,2,1) and (α,β,γ)=(1,1,2)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) = (1,1,2).
v=1v = 1. Then 1βγ3βγ{1,2,3}1 \le \beta\gamma \le 3 \Rightarrow \beta\gamma \in \{1,2,3\}.
If βγ=1\beta\gamma = 1, then β=γ=1\beta = \gamma = 1 and α+2=1\alpha + 2 = 1, impossible.
If βγ=2\beta\gamma = 2, then β=2,γ=1\beta = 2, \gamma = 1 and α+3=2αα=3\alpha + 3 = 2\alpha \Leftrightarrow \alpha = 3.
Therefore (α,β,γ)=(3,2,1)(\alpha, \beta, \gamma) = (3,2,1) and by symmetry
(α,β,γ)=(2,1,3),(α,β,γ)=(3,2,1),(α,β,γ)=(3,1,2),(α,β,γ)=(1,2,3),(α,β,γ)=(2,3,1). \begin{align*} (\alpha, \beta, \gamma) &= (2,1,3), \\ (\alpha, \beta, \gamma) &= (3,2,1), \\ (\alpha, \beta, \gamma) &= (3,1,2), \\ (\alpha, \beta, \gamma) &= (1,2,3), \\ (\alpha, \beta, \gamma) &= (2,3,1). \end{align*}
If βγ=3\beta\gamma = 3, then β=3,γ=1\beta = 3, \gamma = 1 and α+4=3αα=2\alpha + 4 = 3\alpha \Leftrightarrow \alpha = 2. (rejected, α<β\alpha < \beta).
Hence v{1,2,3}v \notin \{1,2,3\}.

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