Find all solutions in positive integers to the equation .
Solution
There are trivial solutions when , and one non-trivial solution when as:
We will prove that there are no other solutions. If the equation becomes and we must have , which gives the trivial solution.
Suppose that . Then, as is a weighted average of and , then lies strictly between and . As the factorial is a strictly increasing function, this implies lies strictly between and , and in particular . This gives
Dividing by and multiplying by 5 gives whence . The case is excluded, since strictly exceeds the lesser of the positive integers and .
The case leads to , so and . The sub-case gives the non-trivial solution above, while is not possible as is strictly between and .
When , we have to solve . As we must have . We cannot have because is strictly between and . When we should have , and when we should have , neither of which has a solution.