Problem:
Find all primes such that there exist integers , and satisfying the equations
Solution
Solution:
The answers are and . It is clear that for them we can use the values and or respectively. Assume . Subtracting twice the second equation from the square of the first, we find that divides
an expression which factors as
One of the four factors must be divisible by . By flipping the signs on , and , we can assume it is the first one. Using the inequality (for integers , equality holding at and ), we have
This equality condition can only hold if , and are each equal to their squares, implying that they are at most and .
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