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Number theory Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it China

Find all positive integers nn such that there exist non-zero integers x1,x2,,xn,yx_1, x_2, \dots, x_n, y, satisfying the following conditions
{x1++xn=0,x12++xn2=ny2. \begin{cases} x_1 + \cdots + x_n = 0, \\ x_1^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 = n y^2. \end{cases}

Solution

It is easy to see that n>1n > 1.

When n=2kn = 2k, kNk \in \mathbb{N}, let x2i1=1x_{2i-1} = 1, x2i=1x_{2i} = -1, i=1,2,,ki = 1, 2, \dots, k, and y=1y = 1, then the condition is satisfied.

When n=2k+3n = 2k + 3, kNk \in \mathbb{N}, let y=2y = 2, x1=4x_1 = 4, x2=x3=x4=x5=1x_2 = x_3 = x_4 = x_5 = -1, x2i=2x_{2i} = 2, x2i+1=2x_{2i+1} = -2, i=3,4,,k+1i = 3, 4, \cdots, k+1, then the condition is satisfied.

Now if n=3n = 3, and there exist x1,x2,x3,yx_1, x_2, x_3, y such that
{x1+x2+x3=0,x12+x22+x32=3y2. \begin{cases} x_1 + x_2 + x_3 = 0, \\ x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3^2 = 3y^2. \end{cases}
then
2(x12+x22+x3x2)=3y2. 2(x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3 x_2) = 3y^2.
Suppose gcd(x1,x2)=1\gcd(x_1, x_2) = 1, so x1,x2x_1, x_2 are odd numbers or one is even while the other is odd. Hence x12+x22+x3x2x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3 x_2 is an odd number. But 23y22 \mid 3y^2, so 3y20(mod4)3y^2 \equiv 0 \pmod 4. This is a contradiction since 2(x12+x22+x3x2)2(mod4)2(x_1^2 + x_2^2 + x_3 x_2) \equiv 2 \pmod 4.

The answer is n1,3n \neq 1, 3.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.