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Number theory Difficulty 6.5 National olympiad Prove it North Macedonia

Solve the equation xyz+yzt+xzt+xyt=xyzt+3xyz + yzt + xzt + xyt = xyzt + 3 in the set of natural numbers.

Solution

After dividing the equation by xyztxyzt we get 1x+1y+1z+1t=1+3xyzt\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{y}+\frac{1}{z}+\frac{1}{t}=1+\frac{3}{xyzt}. Because of symmetry, without loss of generality, we can assume that
xyzt(1) x \le y \le z \le t \quad \dots \tag{1}
from where it follows that 1x1y1z1t\frac{1}{x} \ge \frac{1}{y} \ge \frac{1}{z} \ge \frac{1}{t}. We get 4x1x+1y+1z+1t=1+3xyzt>1\frac{4}{x} \ge \frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t} = 1 + \frac{3}{xyzt} > 1, from where we have x<4x < 4.

Case 1. Let x=3x=3. Then the equation is of the form 3yz+yzt+3zt+3yt=3yzt+33yz + yzt + 3zt + 3yt = 3yzt + 3, or, equivalently 3(yz+zt+yt)=2yzt+33(yz + zt + yt) = 2yzt + 3. After dividing this equation by yztyzt we get
3(1y+1z+1t)=2+3yzt>2,9y>2, from where we have y4. 3\left(\frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 2 + \frac{3}{yzt} > 2, \frac{9}{y} > 2, \text{ from where we have } y \le 4.
The possible values for yy are 3 and 4.

a) For y=4y=4 we get
3(4z+zt+4t)=8zt+3, 12(z+t)=5zt+3, 12(1z+1t)=5+3zt>5,24z>5, 3(4z + zt + 4t) = 8zt + 3,\ 12(z + t) = 5zt + 3,\ 12\left(\frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 5 + \frac{3}{zt} > 5, \frac{24}{z} > 5,
from where we have z4z \le 4. From (1) it follows that z=4z=4 and the equation gets the form 12(4+t)=20t+312(4+t)=20t+3, or, equivalently 8t=458t=45, which implies that tt is not a natural number.

b) For y=3y=3, we get
3(3z+zt+3t)=6zt+3, 3(z+t)=zt+1, 3(1z+1t)=1+1zt>1,6z>1,z<6. 3(3z + zt + 3t) = 6zt + 3,\ 3(z + t) = zt + 1,\ 3\left(\frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 1 + \frac{1}{zt} > 1, \frac{6}{z} > 1, z < 6.
The possible values for zz are 3, 4, 5.
- Let z=3z=3. Then 3(3+t)=3t+13(3+t)=3t+1 which is impossible.
- If z=4z=4, then 3(4+t)=4t+13(4+t)=4t+1, t=11t=11.
- If z=5z=5, then 3(5+t)=5t+13(5+t)=5t+1, t=7t=7.
We get that the quadriplets (3,3,4,11)(3,3,4,11), (3,3,5,7)(3,3,5,7) are solutions.

Case 2. Let x=2x=2.
Then the equation is of the form
2yz+yzt+2zt+2yt=2yzt+3, 2yz + yzt + 2zt + 2yt = 2yzt + 3,
or, equivalently,
2(yz+zt+yt)=yzt+3(2). 2(yz + zt + yt) = yzt + 3 \qquad (2).
Then each of the numbers y,z,ty,z,t is odd. After dividing this equation by yztyzt we get 2(1y+1z+1t)=1+3yzt>12\left(\frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 1 + \frac{3}{yzt} > 1 from where we have 6y>1\frac{6}{y} > 1, or, equivalently y<6y < 6.

a) If y=5y=5 then (2) is of the form 2(5z+zt+5t)=5zt+32(5z + zt + 5t) = 5zt + 3, or, equivalently 10(z+t)=3zt+310(z+t) = 3zt + 3. Hence 10(1z+1t)=3+3zt>310\left(\frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 3 + \frac{3}{zt} > 3, therefore 1z>320\frac{1}{z} > \frac{3}{20}, or equivalently z6z \le 6. The only possibility is z=5z=5. We get 10(5+t)=15t+310(5+t) = 15t + 3, or, equivalently 5t=475t=47 which implies that tt is not a natural number.

b) If y=3y=3, (2) is of the form 2(3z+zt+3t)=3zt+32(3z + zt + 3t) = 3zt + 3, or equivalently 6(z+t)=zt+36(z+t) = zt + 3. Then 6(1z+1t)=1+3zt>16\left(\frac{1}{z} + \frac{1}{t}\right) = 1 + \frac{3}{zt} > 1, from where 12z>1\frac{12}{z} > 1, or, equivalently z<12z < 12. The possibilities for zz are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11.
- If z=3z=3, then 6(3+t)=3t+36(3+t)=3t+3, from where we have 3t=153t=-15, or equivalently t=5Nt=-5 \notin \mathbb{N}.
- If z=5z=5, then 6(5+t)=5t+36(5+t)=5t+3, t=27Nt=-27 \notin \mathbb{N}.
- If z=7z=7, then 6(7+t)=7t+36(7+t)=7t+3, t=39t=39.
- If z=9z=9, then 6(9+t)=9t+36(9+t)=9t+3, from where we have 3t=513t=51, or, equivalently t=17t=17.
Therefore in this case the solutions are the quadriplets (2,3,7,39)(2,3,7,39), (2,3,9,17)(2,3,9,17).

Case 3. The case remains when x=1x=1. Then the equation is of the form yz+yzt+zt+yt=yzt+3yz + yzt + zt + yt = yzt + 3, or, equivalently yz+zt+yt=3yz + zt + yt = 3. From (1) we get 3yz33yz \le 3, or equivalently yz1yz \le 1, from where y=1y=1 and z=1z=1. Then 1+2t=31+2t=3, or equivalently t=1t=1. The quadriple (1,1,1,1)(1,1,1,1) is a solution.

Finally, the solutions to the initial equation are all permutations of (3,3,4,11)(3,3,4,11), (3,3,5,7)(3,3,5,7), (2,3,7,39)(2,3,7,39), (2,3,9,17)(2,3,9,17), (1,1,1,1)(1,1,1,1).

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.