Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2008

Number theory Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it JBMO

Problem:
Find all the positive integers xx and yy that satisfy the equation
x(xy)=8y7 x(x-y)=8y-7

Solution

Solution:
The given equation can be written as:
x(xy)=8y7x2+7=y(x+8) \begin{aligned} & x(x-y)=8y-7 \\ & x^{2}+7=y(x+8) \end{aligned}
Let x+8=mx+8=m, mNm \in \mathbb{N}. Then we have: x2+70(modm)x^{2}+7 \equiv 0 \pmod{m}, and x2+8x0(modm)x^{2}+8x \equiv 0 \pmod{m}. So we obtain that 8x70(modm)8x-7 \equiv 0 \pmod{m} \quad (1).
Also we obtain 8x+82=8(x+8)0(modm)8x+8^{2}=8(x+8) \equiv 0 \pmod{m} \quad (2).
From (1) and (2) we obtain (8x+64)(8x7)=710(modm)(8x+64)-(8x-7)=71 \equiv 0 \pmod{m}, therefore m71m \mid 71, since 7171 is a prime number, we have:
x+8=1x+8=1 or x+8=71x+8=71. The only accepted solution is x=63x=63, and from the initial equation we obtain y=56y=56.
Therefore the equation has a unique solution, namely (x,y)=(63,56)(x, y)=(63,56).

Solution 2:
The given equation is x2xy+78y=0x^{2}-x y+7-8 y=0.
Discriminant is Δ=y2+32y28=(y+16)2284\Delta=y^{2}+32y-28=(y+16)^{2}-284 and must be perfect square. So (y+16)2284=m2(y+16)^{2}-284=m^{2}, and its follow (y+16)2m2=284(y+16)^{2}-m^{2}=284, and after some casework, y+16m=2y+16-m=2 and y+16+m=142y+16+m=142, hence y=56,x=63y=56, x=63.

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