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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Romania

Find all real numbers x(2,)x \in (2, \infty) for which
cos(πlog3(x+6))cos(πlog3(x2))=1. \cos(\pi \log_3 (x+6)) \cdot \cos(\pi \log_3 (x-2)) = 1.

Solution

From the hypothesis, it is clear that
cos(πlog3(x+6))=cos(πlog3(x2))=±1, \cos(\pi \log_3 (x + 6)) = \cos(\pi \log_3 (x - 2)) = \pm 1,
and thus, there exist k,lZk, l \in \mathbb{Z}, with the same parity, such that πlog3(x+6)=kπ\pi \log_3 (x + 6) = k\pi and πlog3(x2)=lπ\pi \log_3 (x - 2) = l\pi.
We get now the relations x+6=3kx + 6 = 3^k and x2=3lx - 2 = 3^l. By subtracting the last two equalities, we get 3k3l=83^k - 3^l = 8.
It is not difficult to see that if k,l<0k, l < 0 the equality is not possible. Then 3l(3kl1)=83^l (3^{k-l} - 1) = 8, and thus 3l=13^l = 1, that is l=0l = 0 and then k=2k = 2. Finally we get x=3x = 3.

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