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Number theory Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it China

Let the three sides of a triangle be integers ll, mm, nn, respectively, satisfying l>m>nl > m > n and {3l104}={3m104}={3n104}\{\frac{3^l}{10^4}\} = \{\frac{3^m}{10^4}\} = \{\frac{3^n}{10^4}\}, where {x}=x[x]\{x\} = x - [x] and [x][x] denotes the integral part of the number xx. Find the minimum perimeter of such a triangle.

Solution

Since
3l1043l104=3m1043m104=3n1043n104, \frac{3^l}{10^4} - \left\lfloor \frac{3^l}{10^4} \right\rfloor = \frac{3^m}{10^4} - \left\lfloor \frac{3^m}{10^4} \right\rfloor = \frac{3^n}{10^4} - \left\lfloor \frac{3^n}{10^4} \right\rfloor,
we have
3l3m3n(mod104)    {3l3m3n(mod24),3l3m3n(mod54). \begin{align} 3^l &\equiv 3^m \equiv 3^n \pmod{10^4} \\ &\iff \begin{cases} 3^l \equiv 3^m \equiv 3^n \pmod{2^4}, \\ 3^l \equiv 3^m \equiv 3^n \pmod{5^4}. \end{cases} \tag{1} \end{align}
As (3,2)=1(3, 2) = 1, we then have from (1)(1) 3ln3mn1(mod24)3^{l-n} \equiv 3^{m-n} \equiv 1 \pmod{2^4}.
Let uu be the minimum positive integer satisfying 3u1(mod24)3^u \equiv 1 \pmod{2^4}.
Then for every positive integer vv satisfying 3v1(mod24)3^v \equiv 1 \pmod{2^4}, we must have uvu \mid v. Otherwise, if uvu \nmid v, then using division with a remainder we could get two non-negative integers aa and bb satisfying v=au+bv = au + b with 0<b<u0 < b < u. Then 3b3au+b3v1(mod24)3^b \equiv 3^{au+b} \equiv 3^v \equiv 1 \pmod{2^4}, contradicting the definition of uu. Therefore uvu \mid v.
Notice that
33(mod24), 329(mod24), 3 \equiv 3 \pmod{2^4},\ 3^2 \equiv 9 \pmod{2^4},
332711(mod24), 341(mod24), 3^3 \equiv 27 \equiv 11 \pmod{2^4},\ 3^4 \equiv 1 \pmod{2^4},
then u=4u = 4. We may assume that mn=4km-n = 4k, where kk is a positive integer.
In the same way, we get from (2)(2) 3mn1(mod54)3^{m-n} \equiv 1 \pmod{5^4}, that is,
34k1(mod54)3^{4k} \equiv 1 \pmod{5^4}.
Now, we are going to find number kk. As 34k1=(1+5×24)k1=0(mod54)3^{4k}-1 = (1+5 \times 2^4)^k - 1 = 0 \pmod{5^4}, i.e.
5k×24+k(k1)2×52×28+k(k1)(k2)6×53×212=5k+52k[3+(k1)×27]+k(k1)(k2)3×53×211=0(mod54), \begin{aligned} & 5k \times 2^4 + \frac{k(k-1)}{2} \times 5^2 \times 2^8 + \frac{k(k-1)(k-2)}{6} \times 5^3 \times 2^{12} \\ &= 5k + 5^2 k [3 + (k-1) \times 2^7] + \frac{k(k-1)(k-2)}{3} \times 5^3 \times 2^{11} \\ &= 0 \pmod{5^4}, \end{aligned}
so k=5tk = 5t. Substituting in the above expression, we get
t+5t[3+(5t1)×27]0(mod52). t + 5t[3 + (5t - 1) \times 2^7] \equiv 0 \pmod{5^2}.
Then k=5t=53sk = 5t = 5^3 s, and mn=500sm-n = 500s, where ss is a positive integer.
In the same way, we get ln=500rl-n = 500r, where rr is a positive integer and r>sr > s since l>m>nl > m > n.
So the three sides of the required triangle are l=500r+nl = 500r + n, m=500s+nm = 500s + n and nn, respectively, satisfying n>ln=500(rs)n > l-n = 500(r-s). When s=1s=1, r=2r=2 the perimeter reaches the minimum which equals (1000+501)+(500+501)+501=3003(1000+501)+(500+501)+501 = 3003.

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