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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Find the answer

461. For which number and for which natural values of aa is the fraction

2a+53a+4 \frac{2 a+5}{3 a+4}

reducible?

Find all solutions.

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

Solution

\triangle Let

 GCD (2a+5,3a+4)=d \text { GCD }(2 a+5,3 a+4)=d \text {. }

Therefore,

(2a+5):d,(3a+4):d (2 a+5): d, \quad(3 a+4): d

Now multiply the number 2a+52 a+5 by 3, and the number 3a+43 a+4 by 2. Then

(6a+15):d,(6a+8):d (6 a+15): d, \quad(6 a+8): d

Subtract the obtained numbers 6a+156 a+15 and 6a+86 a+8:

7:d 7: d \text {. }

Hence, d=1d=1 or d=7d=7. Therefore, if the fraction is reducible, it is only by 7.

Find all natural aa for which the fraction is reducible by 7.

The first such value of aa is a=1a=1, the next is a=8a=8, then a=15,22a=15,22, and so on.

The general form of such aa is

a=1+7k(k=0,1,2,) a=1+7 k \quad(k=0,1,2, \ldots)

Answer: by 7 when a=7k+1(k=0,1,2,)a=7 k+1(k=0,1,2, \ldots).

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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.