Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2019

Number theory Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it Greece

Determine all pairs (α,β)(\alpha, \beta) of prime numbers α,β\alpha, \beta for which the number A=3α2β+16αβ2A = 3\alpha^2\beta + 16\alpha\beta^2 is the square of an integer.

Solution

We distinguish the cases:

1. α=β\alpha = \beta
Let: A=3α2α+16αα2=19α3=κ2,κZ,αA = 3\alpha^2\alpha + 16\alpha\alpha^2 = 19\alpha^3 = \kappa^2, \kappa \in \mathbb{Z}, \alpha prime.

Then 19κ219κ192κ2κ2=192ω,ωZ19|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow 19|\kappa \Rightarrow 19^2|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow \kappa^2 = 19^2\omega, \omega \in \mathbb{Z}, and hence:
19α3=192ωα3=19ω19α319αα=19. 19\alpha^3 = 19^2\omega \Rightarrow \alpha^3 = 19\omega \Rightarrow 19|\alpha^3 \Rightarrow 19|\alpha \Rightarrow \alpha = 19.
Hence, the pair (α,β)=(19,19)(\alpha, \beta) = (19,19) maybe a solution. Since for α=β=19\alpha = \beta = 19 we have A=19193=194A = 19 \cdot 19^3 = 19^4, the pair (α,β)=(19,19)(\alpha, \beta) = (19,19) is a solution.

2. αβ\alpha \neq \beta
Let A=3α2β+16αβ2=αβ(3α+16β)=κ2,κZ,α,βA = 3\alpha^2\beta + 16\alpha\beta^2 = \alpha\beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) = \kappa^2, \kappa \in \mathbb{Z}, \alpha, \beta primes.
Then: ακ2ακα2κ2κ2=α2ω,ωZ\alpha|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow \alpha|\kappa \Rightarrow \alpha^2|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow \kappa^2 = \alpha^2\omega, \omega \in \mathbb{Z}, and hence
αβ(3α+16β)=α2ωβ(3α+16β)=αωαβ(3α+16β)α(3α+16β)α16βα16=24α=2. \alpha\beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) = \alpha^2\omega \Rightarrow \beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) = \alpha\omega \Rightarrow \alpha|\beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) \\ \Rightarrow \alpha|(3\alpha + 16\beta) \Rightarrow \alpha|16\beta \Rightarrow \alpha|16 = 2^4 \Rightarrow \alpha = 2.
From above we have βκ2βκβ2κ2κ2=β2τ,τZ\beta|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow \beta|\kappa \Rightarrow \beta^2|\kappa^2 \Rightarrow \kappa^2 = \beta^2\tau, \tau \in \mathbb{Z}, and hence
αβ(3α+16β)=β2τα(3α+16β)=βωβα(3α+16β)β(3α+16β)β3αβ3β=3. \alpha\beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) = \beta^2\tau \Rightarrow \alpha(3\alpha + 16\beta) = \beta\omega \Rightarrow \beta|\alpha(3\alpha + 16\beta) \\ \Rightarrow \beta|(3\alpha + 16\beta) \Rightarrow \beta|3\alpha \Rightarrow \beta|3 \Rightarrow \beta = 3.
Hence the pair (α,β)=(2,3)(\alpha, \beta) = (2,3) is a probable solution. Since
A=αβ(3α+16β)=6(6+48)=654=182, A = \alpha\beta(3\alpha + 16\beta) = 6 \cdot (6 + 48) = 6 \cdot 54 = 18^2,
the pair (α,β)=(2,3)(\alpha, \beta) = (2,3) is a solution.

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