Number theoryDifficulty 5.7AIME, harderProve itNorth Macedonia
Solve the equation p2q+q2p=r in the set of prime numbers.
Solution
It is clear that r>2, from where r must be an odd prime number. One of the numbers p or q must be 2, and the other must be an odd prime number. Without loss of generality, let q=2 and p be odd. But then the equation is of the form p4+22p=r, i.e. p4+4⋅24k=r where p=2k+1, k∈N. But then p4+4⋅24k=p4+4⋅24k+4⋅22kp2−4⋅22kp2=(p2+2⋅22k)2−4⋅22kp2==(p2+2⋅22k+2⋅2kp)(p2+2⋅22k−2⋅2kp)==(p2+2⋅22k+2⋅2kp)((p−2k)2+22k) That means that the number p4+22p is never prime, which means that the equation has no solution in the set of prime numbers.
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Source: MathNet,
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