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Number theory Difficulty 7.3 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Let aa and bb be positive integers such that 1a<b1001 \leq a < b \leq 100. If there exists a positive integer kk such that ab=ak+bkab = a^k + b^k, then we say that the pair (a,b)(a, b) is good. Determine the number of good pairs.

Solution

Let (a,b)=d(a, b) = d, a=sda = sd, b=tdb = td, (s,t)=1(s, t) = 1, t>1t > 1, then std2=dk(sk+tk)std^2 = d^k(s^k + t^k). So k2k \geq 2 and st=dk2(sk+tk)st = d^{k-2}(s^k + t^k). Since (st,sk+tk)=1(st, s^k + t^k) = 1, we have st=dk2st = d^{k-2}. Therefore, any prime factor of stst can be divided by dd.
If there is a prime factor pp of ss or tt no less than 1111, then pp divides dd. So p2p^2 divides aa or p2p^2 divides bb, but p2>100p^2 > 100, which is a contradiction.
So the prime factor of stst may be 22, 33, 55 or 77.
If there are at least three prime factors of stst among 22, 33, 55, 77, then there is a prime factor of ss or tt no less than 55. And d>2×3×5=30d > 2 \times 3 \times 5 = 30, so that aa or b5d>100b \geq 5d > 100, which is a contradiction. The prime factor set of stst cannot be {3,7}\{3, 7\}, otherwise, aa or b7×3×7>100b \geq 7 \times 3 \times 7 > 100, which is a contradiction.
Similarly, the prime factor set of stst cannot be {5,7}\{5, 7\}.
Therefore, the prime factor set of stst can only be {2}\{2\}, {3}\{3\}, {5}\{5\}, {7}\{7\}, {2,3}\{2, 3\}, {2,5}\{2, 5\}, {2,7}\{2, 7\} or {3,5}\{3, 5\}.

i) If the prime factor set of stst is {3,5}\{3, 5\}, then dd can only be 1515. Then, s=3s = 3, t=5t = 5. So there is one good pair (a,b)=(45,75)(a, b) = (45, 75).

ii) If the prime factor set of stst is {2,7}\{2, 7\}, then dd can only be 1414. Then s=2s = 2, t=7t = 7 or s=4s = 4, t=7t = 7. So there are two good pairs (a,b)=(28,98)(a, b) = (28, 98) and (56,98)(56, 98).

iii) If the prime factor of stst is {2,5}\{2, 5\}, then dd can only be 1010 or 2020.
For d=10d = 10, then s=2s = 2, t=5t = 5; s=1s = 1, t=10t = 10; s=4s = 4, t=5t = 5; s=5s = 5, t=8t = 8.
For d=20d = 20, then s=2s = 2, t=5t = 5; s=4s = 4, t=5t = 5.
There are six good pairs.

iv) If the prime factor of stst is {2,3}\{2, 3\}, then dd can only be 66, 1212, 1818, 2424 or 3030.
For d=6d = 6, s=1s = 1, t=6t = 6; s=1s = 1, t=12t = 12; s=2s = 2, t=3t = 3; s=2s = 2, t=9t = 9; s=3s = 3, t=4t = 4; s=3s = 3, t=8t = 8; s=3s = 3, t=16t = 16; s=4s = 4, t=9t = 9; s=8s = 8, t=9t = 9; s=9s = 9, t=16t = 16.
For d=12d = 12, s=1s = 1, t=6t = 6; s=2s = 2, t=3t = 3; s=3s = 3, t=4t = 4; s=3s = 3, t=8t = 8.
For d=18d = 18, s=2s = 2, t=3t = 3; s=3s = 3, t=4t = 4.
For d=24d = 24, s=2s = 2, t=3t = 3; s=3s = 3, t=4t = 4. d=30d = 30, s=2s = 2, t=3t = 3.
There are 1919 good pairs.

v) If the prime factor set of stst is {7}\{7\}, then s=1s = 1, t=7t = 7, dd can only be 77 or 1414.
So, there are two good pairs.

vi) If the prime factor set of stst is {5}\{5\}, then s=1s = 1, t=5t = 5, dd can only be 55, 1010, 1515 or 2020. So, there are four good pairs.

vii) If the prime factor set of stst is {3}\{3\} then we have the following:
when s=1s = 1, t=3t = 3, dd can only be 33, 66, \dots, or 3333;
when s=1s = 1, t=9t = 9, dd can only be 33, 66 or 99;
when s=1s = 1, t=27t = 27, dd can only be 33.
There are 1515 good pairs.

viii) If the prime factor set of stst is {2}\{2\}, then we have the following:
when s=1s = 1, t=2t = 2, dd can only be 22, 44, \dots, or 5050;
when s=1s = 1, t=4t = 4, then dd can only be 22, 44, \dots, or 2424;
when s=1s = 1, t=8t = 8, then dd can only be 22, 44, \dots, or 1212;
when s=1s = 1, t=16t = 16, then dd can only be 22, 44 or 66;
when s=1s = 1, t=32t = 32, then dd can only be 22.
There are 4747 good pairs.

Therefore, there are all together 1+2+6+19+2+4+15+47=961 + 2 + 6 + 19 + 2 + 4 + 15 + 47 = 96 good pairs. 96\boxed{96}

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