Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /33 of 48

, 2012

Number theory Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it Hong Kong

Let xx, yy, zz, uu, vv and ww be integers satisfying x2+y2=u2x^2 + y^2 = u^2, x2+z2=v2x^2 + z^2 = v^2 and y2+z2=w2y^2 + z^2 = w^2. Find an integer \ell so that 518000<<518518518000 < \ell < 518518 and \ell divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Solution

The answer is 518400518400.

We claim that 3444523^4 \cdot 4^4 \cdot 5^2 divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Firstly, observe that 33 divides xx or 33 divides yy, since otherwise
u2=x2+y21+1=2(mod3), u^2 = x^2 + y^2 \equiv 1 + 1 = 2 \pmod{3},
which is impossible. Similarly, 33 divides xx or zz, and 33 divides yy or zz. Thus, two of xx, yy, zz are divisible by 33, say xx and yy. Then we have 33 divides uu, and the first equation becomes (x3)2+(y3)2=(u3)2\left(\frac{x}{3}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{y}{3}\right)^2 = \left(\frac{u}{3}\right)^2. Again, 33 divides one of x3\frac{x}{3} and y3\frac{y}{3}. Thus, we have 343^4 divides xyuxyu. In general, we must have 343^4 divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Secondly, observe that 44 divides xx or 44 divides yy, since otherwise
u2=x2+y21+1=2(mod4),u^2 = x^2 + y^2 \equiv 1 + 1 = 2 \pmod{4},
which is impossible. As above, this implies 444^4 divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Thirdly, observe that 55 divides xx, yy or uu, since otherwise
x2+y2±1±1=±2≢±1u2(mod5).x^2 + y^2 \equiv \pm 1 \pm 1 = \pm 2 \not\equiv \pm 1 \equiv u^2 \pmod{5}.
In the same way, 55 divides one of xx, zz, vv, 55 divides one of yy, zz, ww. It is not hard to see 55 divides at least two of xx, yy, zz, uu, vv, ww, and hence 525^2 divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Combining these, we obtain 344452=5184003^4 \cdot 4^4 \cdot 5^2 = 518400 divides xyzuvwxyzuvw.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.