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Number theory Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Show that the only choice of integers x,y,zx, y, z that satisfies the equation
x2022+20y2022=22z2022, x^{2022} + 20y^{2022} = 22z^{2022},
is x=y=z=0x = y = z = 0.

Solution

It suffices to consider non-negative x,y,zx, y, z. Assume that there is a non-trivial solution, i.e. at least one of the numbers x,y,zx, y, z is positive. We pick such a solution with minimal sum x+y+zx + y + z.
Now, x2022x^{2022} must be even since the other two terms are even, so we can write
x=2ux = 2u and divide the new equation across by 22 to get
22021u2022+10y2022=11z2022. 2^{2021}u^{2022} + 10y^{2022} = 11z^{2022}.
As before, we conclude that z=2wz = 2w is even and divide the new equation by 22 to get
22020u2022+5y2022=1122021w2022. 2^{2020}u^{2022} + 5y^{2022} = 11 \cdot 2^{2021}w^{2022}.
As before, we conclude that y=2vy = 2v is even and divide the new equation by 220202^{2020} to get
u2022+20v2022=22w2022. u^{2022} + 20v^{2022} = 22w^{2022}.
This is our original equation with x,y,zx, y, z replaced by u,v,wu, v, w whose sum is half the original sum. This gives a contradiction so there are no solutions.

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