Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Prove it Bulgaria

Problem:

The positive integers l,m,nl, m, n are such that mnm-n is a prime number and 8(l2mn)=2(m2+n2)+5(m+n)l8\left(l^{2}-m n\right)=2\left(m^{2}+n^{2}\right)+5(m+n) l. Prove that 11l+311 l+3 is a perfect square.

Solution

Solution:

Setting p=mnp = m - n and q=m+nq = m + n gives
mn=14(q2p2)andm2+n2=12(q2+p2) m n = \frac{1}{4}\left(q^{2} - p^{2}\right) \quad \text{and} \quad m^{2} + n^{2} = \frac{1}{2}\left(q^{2} + p^{2}\right)
Hence the given conditions can be written as
8l22q2+2p2=q2+p2+5ql 8 l^{2} - 2 q^{2} + 2 p^{2} = q^{2} + p^{2} + 5 q l
i.e.
p2=(3q+8l)(ql) p^{2} = (3 q + 8 l)(q - l)
Since pp is a prime number and 3q+8l>ql3 q + 8 l > q - l we obtain p2=3q+8lp^{2} = 3 q + 8 l and 1=ql1 = q - l. Hence 11l+3=p211 l + 3 = p^{2}.

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