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Number theory Difficulty 6.2 National olympiad Prove it Iran

Determine all integers x,yx, y satisfying the equation

(y3+xy1)(x2+xy)=(x3xy+1)(y2+xy). (y^3 + xy - 1)(x^2 + x - y) = (x^3 - xy + 1)(y^2 + x - y).

Solution

We have
x3xy+1x2+xy=y3+xy1y2+xyxx21x2+xy=y+y21y2+xyxy=x21x2+xy+y21y2+xy.() \begin{aligned} \frac{x^3 - xy + 1}{x^2 + x - y} &= \frac{y^3 + xy - 1}{y^2 + x - y} \Rightarrow x - \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + x - y} = y + \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + x - y} \\ \Rightarrow x - y &= \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + x - y} + \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + x - y}. \quad (*) \end{aligned}
Now we have three cases:
Case 1.
x=y2x21x=0x2=1 or x=0(x,y)=(0,0),(1,1),(1,1) x = y \Rightarrow 2\frac{x^2 - 1}{x} = 0 \Rightarrow x^2 = 1 \text{ or } x = 0 \Rightarrow (x,y) = (0,0), (1,1), (-1,-1)

Case 2. x>yx > y. Let k=xy>0k = x - y > 0 so by (*) we have k=x21x2+k+y21y2+kk = \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + k} + \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + k}. If x1|x| \le 1 or y1|y| \le 1 by using main equation we get (x,y)=(1,0),(1,2),(0,1),(2,1)(x,y) = (-1,0), (1,2), (0,1), (-2,-1). Now we can assume x,y>1|x|,|y| > 1
x21<x2+k0<x21x2+k<1 and similarly 0<y21y2+k<1, therefore x^2 - 1 < x^2 + k \Rightarrow 0 < \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + k} < 1 \text{ and similarly } 0 < \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + k} < 1, \text{ therefore}
0<k=x21x2+k+y21y2+k<2k=11=x21x2+1+y21y2+1.() 0 < k = \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + k} + \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + k} < 2 \Rightarrow k = 1 \Rightarrow 1 = \frac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + 1} + \frac{y^2 - 1}{y^2 + 1}. \quad (**)

Case 3. x<yx < y. Let t=yx>0t = y - x > 0 so by (*) we have t=x21tx2+y21ty2t = \frac{x^2-1}{t-x^2} + \frac{y^2-1}{t-y^2} and by adding 2=tx2tx2+ty2ty22 = \frac{t-x^2}{t-x^2} + \frac{t-y^2}{t-y^2} to both sides we get t+2=t1tx2+t1ty2t+2 = \frac{t-1}{t-x^2} + \frac{t-1}{t-y^2}.
We claim that tx2t - x^2 and ty2t - y^2 are not positive, simultaneously. Assume by
contrary tx2>0,ty2>0t - x^2 > 0, t - y^2 > 0 then
t>x2,t>y22(yx)=2t>x2+y2(x+1)2+(y1)2<2. t > x^2, t > y^2 \Rightarrow 2(y - x) = 2t > x^2 + y^2 \Rightarrow (x + 1)^2 + (y - 1)^2 < 2.
This contradicts because x,y>1|x|,|y|>1. Therefore at least one of fractions t1tx2\frac{t-1}{t-x^2} and t1ty2\frac{t-1}{t-y^2} is less than or equal to 0 and the other less than or equal to t1t-1. So
t+2=t1tx2+t1ty20+(t1)<t. t + 2 = \frac{t - 1}{t - x^2} + \frac{t - 1}{t - y^2} \le 0 + (t - 1) < t.
This contradiction shows that case 3 does not have a new solution and these are all the solutions: (0,0),(1,1),(1,1),(1,0),(1,2),(0,1),(2,1)(0,0), (1,1), (-1,-1), (-1,0), (1,2), (0,1), (-2,-1). □

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