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Number theory Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Greece

Determine the non-positive integers mm, nn satisfying the equation:
n(n+2)4=m4+m2m+1 \frac{n(n+2)}{4} = m^4 + m^2 - m + 1

Solution

For n=0n = 0, the equation becomes: m4+m2m+1=0m^4 + m^2 - m + 1 = 0, which is impossible, because m4+m2m+1=m4+m(m1)+1>0m^4 + m^2 - m + 1 = m^4 + m(m-1) + 1 > 0, for all mZ+m \in \mathbb{Z}_+.

For m=0m = 0, the equation becomes: n(n+2)=4n(n+2) = 4, impossible in the set of non-negative integers.

For m,n0m, n \neq 0, the equation becomes:
n22n4(m4+m2m+1)=0,(1) n^2 - 2n - 4(m^4 + m^2 - m + 1) = 0, \quad (1)
which is of second degree with respect to nn and in order to have a root in integers its discriminant must be a perfect square, i.e.
Δ=4(1+4m4+4m24m+4)=perfect square4m4+4m24m+5=perfect square. \begin{aligned} \Delta &= 4(1 + 4m^4 + 4m^2 - 4m + 4) = \text{perfect square} \\ &\Leftrightarrow 4m^4 + 4m^2 - 4m + 5 = \text{perfect square.} \end{aligned}
However we have 4m4+4m24m+5=(2m2)2+4m(m1)+5>(2m2)24m^4 + 4m^2 - 4m + 5 = (2m^2)^2 + 4m(m-1) + 5 > (2m^2)^2, for every positive integer mm, and also we have:
4m4+4m24m+5=(2m2+1)24(m1)(2m2+1)2, 4m^4 + 4m^2 - 4m + 5 = (2m^2 + 1)^2 - 4(m-1) \leq (2m^2 + 1)^2,
where equality holds only for m=1m = 1. Hence the unique possible value for mm is m=1m = 1. Then the given equation becomes n(n+2)=8n=2n(n+2) = 8 \Leftrightarrow n = 2, and the pair (m,n)=(1,2)(m, n) = (1, 2) is a solution.

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