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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

Find all pairs (n;p)(n; p) of natural numbers nn and prime numbers pp satisfying the equality p(p1)=2(n3+1)p(p - 1) = 2(n^3 + 1).

Solution

Answer: (n;p)=(20;127)(n; p) = (20; 127).
It is easy to see that the given equality
p(p1)=2(n3+1)(1) p(p-1) = 2(n^3 + 1) \qquad (1)
does not hold for p=2p=2 and positive integer nn. So p3p \ge 3 is an odd prime number. Then (n+1)(n2n+1)(n+1)(n^2 - n + 1) is divisible by pp.

1. If (n+1)p(n+1) \nmid p, then n+1=kpn+1 = kp for some positive integer kk. In particular, n+1pn+1 \ge p. From (1) we have p(p1)=2(n+1)(n2n+1)2p(n2n+1)p(p-1) = 2(n+1)(n^2-n+1) \ge 2p(n^2-n+1), and so p12n22n+2p-1 \ge 2n^2-2n+2. Then np12n22n+2n \ge p-1 \ge 2n^2-2n+2 or 2n23n+202n^2-3n+2 \le 0, which is impossible.

2. Therefore n2n+1pn^2 - n + 1 \nmid p, i. e.
n2n+1=kp(2) n^2 - n + 1 = kp \qquad (2)
for some positive integer kk. Substituting (2) in (1), we obtain p1=2k(n+1)p-1 = 2k(n+1) or
p=2kn+2k+1.(3) p = 2kn + 2k + 1. \qquad (3)
Substituting (3) in (2), we obtain n2n+1=2k2n+2k2+kn^2 - n + 1 = 2k^2n + 2k^2 + k or
n2(2k2+1)n(2k2+k1)=0.(4) n^2 - (2k^2 + 1)n - (2k^2 + k - 1) = 0. \qquad (4)
The discriminant DD of this quadratic equation with respect to nn is equal to D=(2k2+1)2+4(2k2+k1)D = (2k^2 + 1)^2 + 4(2k^2 + k - 1) and DD is evidently an odd number, D>(2k2+1)2D > (2k^2 + 1)^2; on the other hand D<(2k2+5)2D < (2k^2 + 5)^2 (indeed,
(2k2+1)2+4(2k2+k1)<(2k2+5)2    4(2k2+k1)<(4k2+6)4    k7<2k2. (2k^2+1)^2+4(2k^2+k-1) < (2k^2+5)^2 \iff 4(2k^2+k-1) < (4k^2+6) \cdot 4 \iff k-7 < 2k^2.
Therefore, D=(2k2+1)2+4(2k2+k1)=(2k2+3)2D = (2k^2+1)^2 + 4(2k^2+k-1) = (2k^2+3)^2 (DD must be perfect square, otherwise (4) has no integer roots). Thus,
4(2k2+k1)=(2k2+3)(2k2+1)=((4k2+4)2    2k2+k1=2k2+2 4(2k^2+k-1) = (2k^2+3)-(2k^2+1) = ((4k^2+4) \cdot 2 \iff 2k^2+k-1 = 2k^2+2
    k=3. \iff k = 3.
Then (4) has the form n219n20=0n^2 - 19n - 20 = 0, so n=20n = 20. From (3) we obtain p=2320+23+1=127p = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 20 + 2 \cdot 3 + 1 = 127, and pp is the prime number indeed.

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