Let be a positive integer and a prime number. If the number is divisible by , and the number is divisible by , prove that is a square of an integer.
Solution
Since divides , there exists a positive integer such that . We also have .
From the condition that is divisible by the prime number , it follows that is divisible by . Indeed, , so cannot be divisible by .
Hence . This implies that (because if , then , which is impossible).
From the same divisibility it follows that , which is positive, so we must have , i.e. .
It follows that and .
Hence , which finishes the proof.
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