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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Find the answer

Find all triples (x,n,p)(x, n, p) of positive integers xx and nn and prime numbers pp for which

x3+3x+14=2pn x^{3}+3 x+14=2 \cdot p^{n} \text {. }

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

Solution

Since the right-hand side is a product of prime factors, it would be convenient if the left-hand side were also a product. It should then be factorizable into a first-degree and a second-degree polynomial in xx. Trying this gives the following factorization. We can factor the left-hand side as (x+2)(x22x+7)(x+2)\left(x^{2}-2 x+7\right). Therefore, it must hold that

(x+2)(x22x+7)=2pn. (x+2)\left(x^{2}-2 x+7\right)=2 p^{n} .

First, assume that xx is even. Then x+2=2pax+2=2 p^{a} for some integer a0a \geq 0 and x22x+7=pnax^{2}-2 x+7=p^{n-a}. (Note that this also works if p=2p=2.) Since xx is a positive integer, x+23x+2 \geq 3, so we can exclude a=0a=0. Furthermore, x23x+5>(x32)20x^{2}-3 x+5>\left(x-\frac{3}{2}\right)^{2} \geq 0 for all xx, so x22x+7>x+2x^{2}-2 x+7>x+2. This means that na>an-a>a. We now substitute x=2pa2x=2 p^{a}-2 into x22x+7=pnax^{2}-2 x+7=p^{n-a}:

(2pa2)22(2pa2)+7=pna, \left(2 p^{a}-2\right)^{2}-2\left(2 p^{a}-2\right)+7=p^{n-a},

or equivalently,

4p2a12pa+15=pna. 4 p^{2 a}-12 p^{a}+15=p^{n-a} .

Since na>an-a>a, papnap^{a} \mid p^{n-a}. Furthermore, papap^{a} \mid p^{a} and pap2ap^{a} \mid p^{2 a}. Therefore, pap^{a} must also be a divisor of 15. This implies p=3p=3 or p=5p=5 and further a=1a=1. If p=3p=3, the left side is 15 and the right side is 3n13^{n-1}; this does not yield a solution. If p=5p=5, the left side is 55 and the right side is 5n15^{n-1}; this also does not yield a solution.
Now assume that xx is odd. Then x+2=pax+2=p^{a} for some integer a0a \geq 0 and x22x+7=2pnax^{2}-2 x+7=2 p^{n-a}. Since xx is a positive integer, x+23x+2 \geq 3, so a=0a=0 can be excluded again. Furthermore, x2x \neq 2, so x24x+3=(x2)210x^{2}-4 x+3=(x-2)^{2}-1 \geq 0, thus x22x+72(x+2)x^{2}-2 x+7 \geq 2(x+2). Therefore, naan-a \geq a. We now substitute x=pa2x=p^{a}-2 into x22x+7=2pnax^{2}-2 x+7=2 p^{n-a}:

(pa2)22(pa2)+7=2pna \left(p^{a}-2\right)^{2}-2\left(p^{a}-2\right)+7=2 p^{n-a}

or equivalently,

p2a6pa+15=2pna. p^{2 a}-6 p^{a}+15=2 p^{n-a} .

Since naan-a \geq a, papnap^{a} \mid p^{n-a}. Therefore, we find that pa15p^{a} \mid 15, which implies p=3p=3 or p=5p=5 and further a=1a=1. If p=3p=3, the left side is 6 and the right side is 23n12 \cdot 3^{n-1}, so n=2n=2. We find x=32=1x=3-2=1. Indeed, (1,2,3)(1,2,3) is a solution. If p=5p=5, the left side is 10 and the right side is 25n12 \cdot 5^{n-1}, so n=2n=2. We find x=52=3x=5-2=3. Indeed, (3,2,5)(3,2,5) is a solution. Therefore, there are two solutions, namely (1,2,3)(1,2,3) and (3,2,5)(3,2,5).

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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.