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Number theory Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it United States

Determine if there exists a (three-variable) polynomial P(x,y,z)P(x, y, z) with integer coefficients satisfying the following property: A positive integer nn is not a perfect square if and only if there is a triple (x,y,z)(x, y, z) of positive integers such that P(x,y,z)=nP(x, y, z) = n.
(This problem was suggested by Gerhard Woeginger.)

Solution

The answer is yes. Suppose that Q(x,y,z)Q(x, y, z) is a polynomial with integer coefficients such that for all integers x,y,zx, y, z, we have

* Q(x,y,z)0Q(x, y, z) \ge 0,
* if Q(x,y,z)=0Q(x, y, z) = 0 then xx is a non-square, and
* for each positive non-square xx, there exist y,zZy, z \in \mathbb{Z} with Q(x,y,z)=0Q(x, y, z) = 0.

We claim that the polynomial
P(x,y,z)=xxQ(x,y,z) P(x, y, z) = x - xQ(x, y, z)
satisfies the desired property. Indeed, P(x,y,z)0P(x, y, z) \le 0 unless Q(x,y,z)=0Q(x, y, z) = 0, in which case xx must be a non-square, so if P(x,y,z)P(x, y, z) is a positive integer, then it is a non-square. Further, for any positive non-square xx, choosing y,zy, z for which Q(x,y,z)=0Q(x, y, z) = 0 yields a triple (x,y,z)(x, y, z) for which P(x,y,z)=xP(x, y, z) = x. It remains only to show that such a polynomial Q(x,y,z)Q(x, y, z) exists. We present two approaches.

First approach:

For any xZx \in \mathbb{Z}, we have the following chain of five equivalent statements:
(i) xx is a positive non-square,
(ii) y2<x<(y+1)2y^2 < x < (y+1)^2 for some yZy \in \mathbb{Z},
(iii) (xy2)((y+1)2x)>0(x - y^2)((y + 1)^2 - x) > 0 for some yZy \in \mathbb{Z},
(iv) ((xy2)((y+1)2x)z)2=0((x - y^2)((y + 1)^2 - x) - z)^2 = 0 for some y,zZy, z \in \mathbb{Z},
(v) Q(x,y,z)=0Q(x, y, z) = 0 for some y,zZy, z \in \mathbb{Z}, where
Q(x,y,z)=((xy2)((y+1)2x)z)2 Q(x, y, z) = ((x - y^2)((y + 1)^2 - x) - z)^2
satisfies the desired conditions.

Second approach:

It is well known that the Pell equation y2xz2=1y^2 - xz^2 = 1 with parameter xx has a positive integer solution y,zZy, z \in \mathbb{Z} if and only if xx is not a square. Therefore the polynomial
Q(x,y,z)=(y2xz21)2 Q(x, y, z) = (y^2 - xz^2 - 1)^2
also satisfies the desired conditions.

Remark. For any kk, the problem statement also works with “not a kkth power” instead of “not a square.” However, in this case the second approach breaks down because we can no longer use the theory of Pell equations.

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