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Number theory Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Find all positive integers aa and bb so that a+1b\frac{a+1}{b} and b+2a\frac{b+2}{a} are simultaneously positive integers.

Solution

Since the fractions f1=a+1bf_1 = \frac{a+1}{b} and f2=b+2af_2 = \frac{b+2}{a} are positive integers, a+1ba+1 \ge b and b+2ab+2 \ge a, hence a+1ba2a+1 \ge b \ge a-2. This leaves the cases:

1. b=a+1b = a + 1: then f2=1+3aNf_2 = 1 + \frac{3}{a} \in \mathbb{N}, whence a=1,b=2a = 1, b = 2 or a=3,b=4a = 3, b = 4, which are convenient values.

2. b=ab = a: then f1=1+1aNf_1 = 1 + \frac{1}{a} \in \mathbb{N}, whence a=1,b=1a = 1, b = 1, which are convenient values.

3. b=a1b = a - 1: then f2=1+1aNf_2 = 1 + \frac{1}{a} \in \mathbb{N}, whence a=1,b=1a = 1, b = 1.

4. b=a2b = a - 2: then f1=1+3bNf_1 = 1 + \frac{3}{b} \in \mathbb{N}, whence a=3,b=1a = 3, b = 1 or a=5,b=3a = 5, b = 3, which are convenient values.

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