Solution:
Let Tn=an+bn+cn and consider the polynomial
P(x)=(x−a)(x−b)(x−c)=x3−(a+b+c)x2+(ab+ac+bc)x−abc.
Since P(a)=0, we get a3=(a+b+c)a2−(ab+ac+bc)a+abc and multiplying both sides by an−3 we obtain an=(a+b+c)an−1−(ab+ac+bc)an−2+(abc)an−3. Applying the same reasoning, we can obtain similar expressions for bn and cn and adding the three identities we get that Tn satisfies the following 3-term recurrence:
Tn=(a+b+c)Tn−1−(ab+ac+bc)Tn−2+(abc)Tn−3, for all n≥3
From this we see that if Tn−2 and Tn−3 are divisible by a+b+c, then so is Tn. This immediately resolves part (b) - there are no ordered triples which are 2004-powerful and 2005-powerful, but not 2007-powerful - and reduces the number of cases to be considered in part (a): since all triples are 1-powerful, the recurrence implies that any ordered triple which is both 2-powerful and 3-powerful is n-powerful for all n≥1.
Putting n=3 in the recurrence, we have
a3+b3+c3=(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)−(ab+ac+bc)(a+b+c)+3abc
which implies that (a,b,c) is 3-powerful if and only if 3abc is divisible by a+b+c. Since
a2+b2+c2=(a+b+c)2−2(ab+ac+bc),
(a,b,c) is 2-powerful if and only if 2(ab+ac+bc) is divisible by a+b+c.
Suppose a prime p≥5 divides a+b+c. Then p divides abc. Since gcd(a,b,c)=1, p divides exactly one of a,b or c; but then p doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc).
Suppose 32 divides a+b+c. Then 3 divides abc, implying 3 divides exactly one of a, b or c. But then 3 doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc).
Suppose 22 divides a+b+c. Then 4 divides abc. Since gcd(a,b,c)=1, at most one of a,b or c is even, implying one of a,b,c is divisible by 4 and the others are odd. But then ab+ac+bc is odd and 4 doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc).
So if (a,b,c) is 2- and 3-powerful, then a+b+c is not divisible by 4 or 9 or any prime greater than 3. Since a+b+c is at least 3, a+b+c is either 3 or 6. It is now a simple matter to check the possibilities and conclude that the only triples which are n-powerful for all n≥1 are (1,1,1) and (1,1,4).
Let p be a prime. By Fermat's Little Theorem,
ap−1≡{1(modp),0(modp), if p doesn’t divide a if p divides a
Since gcd(a,b,c)=1, we have that ap−1+bp−1+cp−1≡1,2 or 3(modp). Therefore if p is a prime divisor of ap−1+bp−1+cp−1, then p equals 2 or 3. So if (a,b,c) is n-powerful for all n≥1, then the only primes which can divide a+b+c are 2 or 3.
We can proceed in a similar fashion to show that a+b+c is not divisible by 4 or 9.
Since
a2≡{0(mod4),1(mod4), if a is even; if a is odd
and a,b,c aren't all even, we have that a2+b2+c2≡1,2 or 3(mod4).
By expanding (3k)3,(3k+1)3 and (3k+2)3, we find that a3 is congruent to 0, 1 or −1 modulo 9. Hence
a6≡{0(mod9),1(mod9), if 3 divides a; if 3 doesn’t divide a.
Since a,b,c aren't all divisible by 3, we have that a6+b6+c6≡1,2 or 3(mod9).
So a2+b2+c2 is not divisible by 4 and a6+b6+c6 is not divisible by 9. Thus if (a,b,c) is n-powerful for all n≥1, then a+b+c is not divisible by 4 or 9. Therefore a+b+c is either 3 or 6 and checking all possibilities, we conclude that the only triples which are n-powerful for all n≥1 are (1,1,1) and (1,1,4).
See Solution for the (b) part.