Number theoryDifficulty 5.6AIME, harderProve itBulgaria
Solve in integers the system {3a4+2b3=c23a6+b5=d2.
Solution
We shall prove that a=b=c=d=0. It is easy to see that if one of the numbers a,b,c,d equals 0, then the others equal 0, too. Indeed, if b=0, a=0, then 3=±a2c is a rational number, a contradiction. The case a=0, b=0 is impossible by the same reasoning. Let c=0. Then n=−b>0 and 3a4=2n3, 3a6≥n5. Hence 2a2≥n2 and therefore 2n3=3a4≥43n4. Then n≤38, i.e.n=1 or n=2, a contradiction. Analogously d=0.
Let now a,b,c,d=0. Adding both equations and using that 3 divides b5+2b3=b3(b−1)(b+1)+3b3, we get that 3∣c2+d2, i.e. 3∣c,d. Hence 3∣a,b. Let a=3αa1, b=3βb1, c=3γc1, d=3δd1, where α,β,γ,δ≥1 and 3∤a1,b1,c1,d1. Then the system can be written in the form (1)34α+1a14+33β2b13=32γc1236α+1a16+35βb15=32δd12 We shall use the following trivial fact. If 3kp+3lq=3mr and 3∤p,q,r, then at least two of the numbers k,l,m are equal. This and (1) imply that 4α+1=3β or 3β=2γ, and 6α+1=5β or 5β=2δ. Then it is easy to see that 3β=2γ and 5β=2δ. Now (1) is equivalent to 34α+1−2γa14+2b13=c1236α+1−2δa16+b15=d12 Since 4α+1−2γ>0 and 6α+1−2δ>0, adding the last two equations, we conclude as above that 3∣c1,d1, a contradiction.
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