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Number theory Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Let nn be a positive integer and let xx and yy be positive divisors of 2n212n^2 - 1. Prove that x+yx + y is not divisible by 2n+12n + 1.

Solution

Suppose, if possible, that x+yx + y is divisible by 2n+12n + 1. Note that 2n+12n + 1 and 2n212n^2 - 1 are relatively prime, as (2n1)(2n+1)2(2n21)=1(2n - 1)(2n + 1) - 2(2n^2 - 1) = 1. Hence 2n+12n + 1 is coprime to gcd(x,y)\gcd(x, y), so x/gcd(x,y)x/\gcd(x, y) and y/gcd(x,y)y/\gcd(x, y) are coprime divisors of 2n212n^2 - 1 whose sum is divisible by 2n+12n + 1.

To reach a contradiction, we may and will therefore assume xx coprime to yy. Then 2n212n^2-1 is divisible by xyxy, say, 2n21=kxy2n^2-1 = kxy; write x+y=(2n+1)x+y = \ell(2n+1). Express nn from this latter and plug it into the former to get kxy=12(x+y1)21kxy = \frac{1}{2} \left(\frac{x+y}{\ell} - 1\right)^2 - 1; alternatively, but equivalently, 2k2xy=(x+y)2222k\ell^2xy = (x + y - \ell)^2 - 2\ell^2.

Fix kk and \ell to regard the above equality as an equation in positive integers xx and yy. By assumption, it has at least one solution. Consider one such with a minimal x+yx + y. Without loss of generality, assume xyx \ge y.

Rewrite the equation as a quadratic in xx, x2+2(yk2y)x+(y)222=0x^2+2(y-\ell-k\ell^2y)x+(y-\ell)^2-2\ell^2=0, and consider the other root xx'. Then x+x=2(k2yy+)x+x'=2(k\ell^2y-y+\ell) and xx=(y)222xx' = (y-\ell)^2-2\ell^2. The former shows that xx' is also integer. The latter implies x<0x' < 0: Clearly, x0x' \ne 0, as (y)2=22(y-\ell)^2 = 2\ell^2 cannot hold in integers; and if x>0x' > 0, then xyxx=(y)222=y2(2y+)<y2x'y \le xx' = (y-\ell)^2 - 2\ell^2 = y^2 - \ell(2y+\ell) < y^2, so x<yx' < y, whence x+y<2yx+yx' + y < 2y \le x + y, contradicting the minimality of x+yx + y.

Thus, (y)2<22(y-\ell)^2 < 2\ell^2 and xx divides 22(y)22\ell^2 - (y-\ell)^2, so x22x \le 2\ell^2. On the other hand, as xx' is negative, x>x+x=2((k21)y+)2(2+1)22x > x + x' = 2((k\ell^2 - 1)y + \ell) \ge 2(\ell^2 + \ell - 1) \ge 2\ell^2. This is a contradiction, so the sum x+yx + y is not divisible by 2n+12n + 1, as required.

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