Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:

Let nn be a positive integer which is divisible by 55 and which can be written as the sum of two (not necessarily distinct) squares. Prove that nn can be written as the sum of two squares one of which is greater than or equal to four times the other.

Solution

Solution:

Let n=a2+b2n = a^2 + b^2, where aa and bb are nonnegative integers. Suppose that each of the squares a2a^2 and b2b^2 is less than 44 times the other, so
a<2b and b<2a. a < 2b \text{ and } b < 2a.
Since a2+b2a^2 + b^2 is divisible by 55, so is a2+b25b2=a24b2=(a+2b)(a2b)a^2 + b^2 - 5b^2 = a^2 - 4b^2 = (a + 2b)(a - 2b). Thus 55 divides either a+2ba + 2b or a2ba - 2b. If 5a2b5 \mid a - 2b, then 52(a2b)+5b=2a+b5 \mid 2(a - 2b) + 5b = 2a + b. Thus 55 divides either a+2ba + 2b or 2a+b2a + b, and by switching the labels aa and bb we may assume that 5a+2b5 \mid a + 2b.

Then
54(a+2b)5b=4a+3b 5 \mid 4(a + 2b) - 5b = 4a + 3b
and
53(a+2b)10b=3a4b. 5 \mid 3(a + 2b) - 10b = 3a - 4b.
Note that
(4a+3b5)2+(3a4b5)2=16a2+24ab+9b2+9a224ab+16b225=25a2+25b225=a2+b2=n. \begin{aligned} \left(\frac{4a + 3b}{5}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{3a - 4b}{5}\right)^2 &= \frac{16a^2 + 24ab + 9b^2 + 9a^2 - 24ab + 16b^2}{25} \\ &= \frac{25a^2 + 25b^2}{25} = a^2 + b^2 = n. \end{aligned}
We claim that
(4a+3b5)24(3a4b5)2 \left(\frac{4a + 3b}{5}\right)^2 \geq 4\left(\frac{3a - 4b}{5}\right)^2
which is equivalent to
4a+3b23a4b 4a + 3b \geq 2|3a - 4b|
which in turn is equivalent to the pair of inequalities
4a+3b2(3a4b) and 4a+3b2(3a4b) 4a + 3b \geq 2(3a - 4b) \text{ and } 4a + 3b \geq -2(3a - 4b)
Simplifying the first inequality yields 11b2a11b \geq 2a which is true since 2ba2b \geq a. Simplifying the second inequality yields 10a5b10a \geq 5b which is true since 2ab2a \geq b.

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