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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Bulgaria

Find all natural numbers kk for which there exist natural numbers x,yx, y such that the number xkyy2x2\frac{x^k y}{y^2 - x^2} is prime.
(Konstantin Delchev, Stanislav Harizanov)

Solution

Let d=(x,y)d = (x, y) be the greatest common divisor of the numbers xx and yy. Then, x=dx1x = d x_1, y=dy1y = d y_1, where x1,y1x_1, y_1 are coprime naturals. The expression in the condition can be rewritten as
dk1y12x12x1ky1=p, \frac{d^{k-1}}{y_1^2 - x_1^2} x_1^k y_1 = p,
where we want pp to be prime. But (x1k,y12x12)=(x1,y1)min(k,2)=1=(y1,y12x12)(x_1^k, y_1^2 - x_1^2) = (x_1, y_1)^{\min(k,2)} = 1 = (y_1, y_1^2 - x_1^2), i.e., x1ky1x_1^k y_1 is coprime to y12x12y_1^2 - x_1^2 and for pp to be whole it takes y12x12dk1y_1^2 - x_1^2 \mid d^{k-1}. Moreover, y1>x1y_1 > x_1 and therefore x1ky1>1x_1^k y_1 > 1. Therefore, to be pp it is simply necessary that x1=1x_1 = 1, y1=py_1 = p and y12x12=dk1y_1^2 - x_1^2 = d^{k-1} are fulfilled at the same time. If k=1k=1, then 1=p21=(p1)(p+1)1 = p^2 - 1 = (p-1)(p+1), which is impossible. At k=2k=2 we want d=p21d = p^2 - 1 and here the pair (x,y)=(p21,p(p21))(x, y) = (p^2 - 1, p(p^2 - 1)) has the desired

property for every prime pp. Therefore, k=2k=2 is a solution. With k>2k > 2 we want
dk1=p21=(p1)(p+1)d^{k-1} = p^2 - 1 = (p-1)(p+1). It is directly verified that p=2p=2 does not lead to
a solution, since 3 is not the k1k-1th power of a natural number. Hence, pp is an
odd number and 8p218 \mid p^2 - 1, whence k13k-1 \ge 3. Therefore, k=3k=3 is not a solution.
k=4k=4 is a solution at p=3p=3 and d=2d=2, i.e., (x,y)=(2,6)(x, y) = (2, 6). \square

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