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Number theory Difficulty 6.2 National olympiad Prove it Greece

For the various values of the positive integer nn, determine all positive integers NN which are perfect squares and in their decimal representation have nn times the digit 22 and one time the digit 55.

Solution

Answer: 52=255^2 = 25 and 252=22525^2 = 225.

Proof. Since a perfect square cannot have its last digit 22, NN must be of the form:
N=22225=22200+25=1002111+25=100210n119+25, N = 22\dots 225 = 22\dots 200 + 25 = 100 \cdot 2 \cdot 11\dots 1 + 25 = 100 \cdot 2 \cdot \frac{10^{n-1} - 1}{9} + 25,
where the digit 22 there exists nn times, n1n \ge 1.

Working mod 1010, then N=(10k+v)2N = (10k + v)^2, 0v<100 \le v < 10, where kk is a positive integer, we can see that only in the case N=(10k+5)2N = (10k + 5)^2 results a positive integer leading to 2525. Then we have
100210n119+25=(10k+5)2,(1) 100 \cdot 2 \cdot \frac{10^{n-1}-1}{9} + 25 = (10k + 5)^2, \quad (1)
or equivalently
9k2+9k2(10n11)=0.(2) 9k^2 + 9k - 2(10^{n-1} - 1) = 0. \quad (2)
Since kk is a positive integer, the discriminant of the equation (2) must be perfect square, that is Δ=9(810n1+1)\Delta = 9(8 \cdot 10^{n-1} + 1) must be perfect square. Thus we must have
810n1+1=x2, 8 \cdot 10^{n-1} + 1 = x^2,
for some odd integer x>1x > 1. If x=2m+1x = 2m + 1, m1m \ge 1, then:
810n1=x21=(x1)(x+1)=4m(m+1) 8 \cdot 10^{n-1} = x^2 - 1 = (x - 1)(x + 1) = 4m(m + 1) \Rightarrow
2n5n1=m(m+1),(3) 2^n \cdot 5^{n-1} = m(m + 1), \quad (3)
with (m,m+1)=1(m, m + 1) = 1. We distinguish cases with respect to nn:

* If n=1n = 1, then m=1m = 1, k=0k = 0 and N=25N = 25.
* If n=2n = 2, then m=4m = 4, k=1k = 1 and N=225N = 225.
* If n3n \ge 3, since 5n1>4n1=22n2>2n5^{n-1} > 4^{n-1} = 2^{2n-2} > 2^n,
from equation (3) we get:
2n=m and 5n1=m+1, 2^n = m \text{ and } 5^{n-1} = m + 1,
and so m=5n11=4(5n2++1)>44n2=4n1>2n=mm = 5^{n-1} - 1 = 4 \cdot (5^{n-2} + \cdots + 1) > 4 \cdot 4^{n-2} = 4^{n-1} > 2^n = m, absurd.

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