We write p=∣a−b∣ and assume for contradiction that q=(a+b)2+4 is a prime number.
Since (a,b)∣[a,b], we have that (a,b)∣2021c. As (a,b) also divides p=∣a−b∣, it follows that (a,b)∈{1,43,47}. We will consider all 3 cases separately:
(1) If (a,b)=1, then 1+ab=2021c, and therefore
q=(a+b)2+4=(a−b)2+4(1+ab)=p2+4⋅2021c.(1)
a. Suppose c is even. Since q≡1(mod4), it can be represented uniquely (up to order) as a sum of two (non-negative) squares. But (1) gives potentially two such representations so in order to have uniqueness we must have p=2. But then 4∣q a contradiction.
b. If c is odd then ab=2021c−1≡1(mod3). Thus a≡b(mod3) implying that p=∣a−b∣≡0(mod3). Therefore p=3. Without loss of generality b=a+3. Then 2021c=ab+1=a2+3a+1 and so
(2a+3)2=4a2+12a+9=4⋅2021c+5.
So 5 is a quadratic residue modulo 47, a contradiction as
(475)=(547)=(52)=−1.
(2) If (a,b)=43, then p=∣a−b∣=43 and we may assume that a=43k and b=43(k+1), for some k∈N. Then 2021c=43+43k(k+1) giving that
(2k+1)2=4k2+4k+4−3=4⋅43c−1⋅47−3.
So −3 is a quadratic residue modulo 47, a contradiction as
(47−3)=(47−1)(473)=(347)=(32)=−1.
(3) If (a,b)=47 then analogously there is a k∈N such that
(2k+1)2=4⋅43c⋅47c−1−3.
If c>1 then we get a contradiction in exactly the same way as in (2). If c=1 then (2k+1)2=169 giving k=6. This implies that a+b=47⋅6+47⋅7=47⋅13≡1(mod5). Thus q=(a+b)2+4≡0(mod5), a contradiction.