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Number theory Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Find the answer

Let's say that an ordered triple of positive integers (a,b,c)(a, b, c) is nn-powerful if abca \leq b \leq c, gcd(a,b,c)=1\operatorname{gcd}(a, b, c)=1, and an+bn+cna^{n}+b^{n}+c^{n} is divisible by a+b+ca+b+c. For example, (1,2,2)(1,2,2) is 5 -powerful.

a) Determine all ordered triples (if any) which are nn-powerful for all n1n \geq 1.

b) Determine all ordered triples (if any) which are 2004-powerful and 2005-powerful, but not 2007-powerful.

[Note that gcd(a,b,c)\operatorname{gcd}(a, b, c) is the greatest common divisor of a,ba, b and cc.]

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Let Tn=an+bn+cnT_{n}=a^{n}+b^{n}+c^{n} and consider the polynomial

P(x)=(xa)(xb)(xc)=x3(a+b+c)x2+(ab+ac+bc)xabc. P(x)=(x-a)(x-b)(x-c)=x^{3}-(a+b+c) x^{2}+(a b+a c+b c) x-a b c .

Since P(a)=0P(a)=0, we get a3=(a+b+c)a2(ab+ac+bc)a+abca^{3}=(a+b+c) a^{2}-(a b+a c+b c) a+a b c and multiplying both sides by an3a^{n-3} we obtain an=(a+b+c)an1(ab+ac+bc)an2+(abc)an3a^{n}=(a+b+c) a^{n-1}-(a b+a c+b c) a^{n-2}+(a b c) a^{n-3}. Applying the same reasoning, we can obtain similar expressions for bnb^{n} and cnc^{n} and adding the three identities we get that TnT_{n} satisfies the following 3-term recurrence:

Tn=(a+b+c)Tn1(ab+ac+bc)Tn2+(abc)Tn3, for all n3 T_{n}=(a+b+c) T_{n-1}-(a b+a c+b c) T_{n-2}+(a b c) T_{n-3} \text {, for all } n \geq 3

From this we see that if Tn2T_{n-2} and Tn3T_{n-3} are divisible by a+b+ca+b+c, then so is TnT_{n}. This immediately resolves part (b) - there are no ordered triples which are 2004-powerful and 2005-powerful, but not 2007-powerful-and reduces the number of cases to be considered in part (a): since all triples are 1-powerful, the recurrence implies that any ordered triple which is both 2-powerful and 3-powerful is nn-powerful for all n1n \geq 1.

Putting n=3n=3 in the recurrence, we have

a3+b3+c3=(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)(ab+ac+bc)(a+b+c)+3abc a^{3}+b^{3}+c^{3}=(a+b+c)\left(a^{2}+b^{2}+c^{2}\right)-(a b+a c+b c)(a+b+c)+3 a b c

which implies that (a,b,c)(a, b, c) is 3-powerful if and only if 3abc3 a b c is divisible by a+b+ca+b+c. Since

a2+b2+c2=(a+b+c)22(ab+ac+bc), a^{2}+b^{2}+c^{2}=(a+b+c)^{2}-2(a b+a c+b c),

(a,b,c)(a, b, c) is 2-powerful if and only if 2(ab+ac+bc)2(a b+a c+b c) is divisible by a+b+ca+b+c.

Suppose a prime p5p \geq 5 divides a+b+ca+b+c. Then pp divides abca b c. Since gcd(a,b,c)=1,p\operatorname{gcd}(a, b, c)=1, p divides exactly one of a,ba, b or cc; but then pp doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc)2(a b+a c+b c).

Suppose 323^{2} divides a+b+ca+b+c. Then 3 divides abca b c, implying 3 divides exactly one of aa, bb or cc. But then 3 doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc)2(a b+a c+b c).

Suppose 222^{2} divides a+b+ca+b+c. Then 4 divides abca b c. Since gcd(a,b,c)=1\operatorname{gcd}(a, b, c)=1, at most one of a,ba, b or cc is even, implying one of a,b,ca, b, c is divisible by 4 and the others are odd. But then ab+ac+bca b+a c+b c is odd and 4 doesn't divide 2(ab+ac+bc)2(a b+a c+b c).

So if (a,b,c)(a, b, c) is 2- and 3-powerful, then a+b+ca+b+c is not divisible by 4 or 9 or any prime greater than 3. Since a+b+ca+b+c is at least 3,a+b+c3, a+b+c is either 3 or 6. It is now a simple matter to check the possibilities and conclude that the only triples which are nn-powerful for all n1n \geq 1 are (1,1,1)(1,1,1) and (1,1,4)(1,1,4).

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.