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Number theory Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it China

Find all ternary positive integer groups (a,m,n)(a, m, n) satisfying a2a \ge 2 and m2m \ge 2 such that an+203a^n + 203 is a multiple of am+1a^m + 1. (posed by Chen Yonggao)

Solution

We will discuss the following three cases for nn and mm.

(i) In the case when n<mn < m, from an+203am+1a^n + 203 \ge a^m + 1, we have
202amanan(a1)a(a1). 202 \ge a^m - a^n \ge a^n(a-1) \ge a(a-1).
Therefore, 2a142 \le a \le 14.

When a=2a = 2, we can take nn to be 1,2,,71, 2, \dots, 7.
When a=3a = 3, we can take nn to be 1,2,31, 2, 3 and 44.
When a=4a = 4, we can take nn to be 1,21, 2 and 33.
When 5a65 \le a \le 6, we can take nn to be 11 and 22.
When 7a147 \le a \le 14, n=1n = 1.
From am+1an+203a^m + 1 \mid a^n + 203, we can deduce that the solutions are (2,2,1),(2,3,2)(2, 2, 1), (2, 3, 2) and (5,2,1)(5, 2, 1).

(ii) In the case when n=mn = m, am+1202a^m + 1 \mid 202. Since 202 has only four divisors 1, 2, 101 and 202, but a2a \ge 2, m2m \ge 2 and am+15a^m + 1 \ge 5, so am=100a^m = 100 or 201. Since m2m \ge 2, therefore the solution is (10,2,2)(10, 2, 2).

(iii) In the case when n>mn > m, from am+1203(am+1)a^m + 1 \mid 203(a^m + 1), we have
am+1an+203(203am+203), a^m + 1 \mid a^n + 203 - (203a^m + 203),
that is,
am+1am(anm203). a^m + 1 \mid a^m(a^{n-m} - 203).
Since (am+1,am)=1(a^m + 1, a^m) = 1, so
am+1anm203. a^m + 1 \mid a^{n-m} - 203.

① If anm<203a^{n-m} < 203, then set nm=s1n-m = s \ge 1, we have am+1203asa^m + 1 \mid 203-a^s. Hence
203asam+1,202as+amam+a=a(am1+1)a(a+1), 203 - a^s \ge a^m + 1, \\ 202 \ge a^s + a^m \ge a^m + a \\ = a(a^{m-1} + 1) \ge a(a+1),
thus
2a13. 2 \le a \le 13.
Using the same argument as in Case (i), we show that the solutions for (a,m,s)(a, m, s) are:
(2,2,3),(2,6,3),(2,4,4),(2,3,5),(2,2,7),(3,2,1),(4,2,2),(5,2,3)(2, 2, 3), (2, 6, 3), (2, 4, 4), (2, 3, 5), (2, 2, 7), (3, 2, 1), (4, 2, 2), (5, 2, 3) and (8,2,1)(8, 2, 1).
Hence, (a,m,n)(a, m, n) are
(2,2,5),(2,6,9),(2,4,8),(2,3,8),(2,2,9),(3,2,3),(4,2,4),(5,2,5)(2, 2, 5), (2, 6, 9), (2, 4, 8), (2, 3, 8), (2, 2, 9), (3, 2, 3), (4, 2, 4), (5, 2, 5) and (8,2,3)(8, 2, 3).

② If anm=203a^{n-m} = 203, then a=203a = 203 and nm=1n-m = 1, and the solution is
(203,m,m+1)(203, m, m+1), m2m \ge 2.

③ If anm>203a^{n-m} > 203, set nm=s1n-m = s \ge 1, then am+1as203a^m + 1 \mid a^s - 203.
Since as203am+1a^s - 203 \ge a^m + 1, so s>ms > m. By
am+1as+203am=(asm+203)am=(an2m+203)am, a^m + 1 \mid a^s + 203a^m = (a^{s-m} + 203)a^m \\ = (a^{n-2m} + 203)a^m,
and
(am+1,am)=1,(a^m + 1, a^m) = 1,
we have
am+1an2m+203.a^m + 1 \mid a^{n-2m} + 203.
Now s>mnm>mn>2mn2m>0s > m \Leftrightarrow n - m > m \Leftrightarrow n > 2m \Leftrightarrow n - 2m > 0. In this case, the solutions can only be derived from the preceding solutions, that is, from (a,m,n)(a,m,n+2m)(a,m,n+2km)(a, m, n) \rightarrow (a, m, n+2m) \rightarrow \dots \rightarrow (a, m, n+2km), and each solution derived also satisfies am+1an+203a^m + 1 \mid a^n + 203.

Summarizing what described above, we obtain all solutions (a,m,n)(a, m, n) to be:
(2,2,4k+1)(2, 2, 4k+1), (2,3,6k+2)(2, 3, 6k+2), (2,4,8k+8)(2, 4, 8k+8), (2,6,12k+9)(2, 6, 12k+9),
(3,2,4k+3)(3, 2, 4k+3), (4,2,4k+4)(4, 2, 4k+4), (5,2,4k+1)(5, 2, 4k+1), (8,2,4k+3)(8, 2, 4k+3),
(10,2,4k+2)(10, 2, 4k+2) and (203,m,(2k+1)m+1)(203, m, (2k+1)m+1),
where kk is any nonnegative integer, and m2m \ge 2 is an integer.

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