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Number theory Difficulty 7.7 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

A positive integer nn is called *super special* if it can be represented in the form n=x3+2y3u3+2v3n = \frac{x^3 + 2y^3}{u^3 + 2v^3} for some positive integers x,y,u,vx, y, u, v. Prove that:
(a) There are infinitely many super special positive integers;
(b) 2014 is not super special.

Solution

(a) Every perfect cube k3k^3 of a positive integer is super special because we can write
k3=k3x3+2y3x3+2y3=(kx)3+2(ky)3x3+2y3 k^3 = k^3 \frac{x^3 + 2y^3}{x^3 + 2y^3} = \frac{(kx)^3 + 2(ky)^3}{x^3 + 2y^3}
for some positive integers x,yx, y.

(b) Observe that 2014=219532014 = 2 \cdot 19 \cdot 53. If 20142014 is super special, then we have,
x3+2y3=2014(u3+2v3)(1) x^3 + 2y^3 = 2014(u^3 + 2v^3) \qquad (1)
for some positive integers x,y,u,vx, y, u, v. We may assume that x3+2y3x^3 + 2y^3 is minimal with this property. Now, we will use the fact that if 1919 divides x3+2y3x^3 + 2y^3, then it divides both xx and yy. Indeed, if 1919 does not divide xx, then it does not divide yy too. The relation x32y3(mod19)x^3 \equiv -2y^3 \pmod{19} implies (x3)6(2y3)6(mod19)(x^3)^6 \equiv (-2y^3)^6 \pmod{19}. The latter congruence is equivalent to x1826y18(mod19)x^{18} \equiv 2^6y^{18} \pmod{19}. Now, according to Fermat's Little Theorem, we obtain 126(mod19)1 \equiv 2^6 \pmod{19}, that is 1919 divides 6363, not possible.
It follows x=19x1,y=19y1x = 19x_1, y = 19y_1, for some positive integers x1x_1 and y1y_1. Replacing in (1) we get
192(x13+2y13)=253(u3+2v3)(2) 19^2(x_1^3 + 2y_1^3) = 2 \cdot 53(u^3 + 2v^3) \qquad (2)
i.e. 19u3+2v319|u^3 + 2v^3. It follows u=19u1u = 19u_1 and v=19v1v = 19v_1, and replacing in (2) we get
x13+2y13=2014(u13+2v13). x_1^3 + 2y_1^3 = 2014(u_1^3 + 2v_1^3).
Clearly, x13+2y13<x3+2y3x_1^3 + 2y_1^3 < x^3 + 2y^3, contradicting the minimality of x3+2y3x^3 + 2y^3.

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