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Number theory Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it

Four, (50 points) Prove: There exist infinitely many rectangular prisms with edge lengths as positive integers, whose volume is exactly equal to the square of the length of the diagonal, and each face of the prism can always be divided into two squares with integer side lengths.

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Four, (50 points) Prove: There exist infinitely many rectangular prisms with edge lengths as positive integers, whose volume is exactly equal to the square of the length of the diagonal, and each face of the prism can always be divided into two squares with integer side lengths.

Solution

Let the edge lengths of a rectangular prism be x,y,zx, y, z. According to the problem, we have x2+y2+z2=xyzx^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=x y z.
The problem is to prove that the equation x2+y2+z2=xyzx^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=x y z has infinitely many positive integer solutions (an,bn,cn)\left(a_{n}, b_{n}, c_{n}\right), and that among an,bn,cna_{n}, b_{n}, c_{n}, the product of any two numbers can be expressed as the sum of the squares of two positive integers.
First, define the sequence {Fn}:\left\{F_{n}\right\}:
F0=0,F1=1,Fn+2=Fn+1+Fn F_{0}=0, F_{1}=1, F_{n+2}=F_{n+1}+F_{n} \text {. }

Lemma (1) Fn+1Fn1Fn2=(1)n(n1)F_{n+1} F_{n-1}-F_{n}^{2}=(-1)^{n}(n \geqslant 1), particularly F2n+1F2n1=F2n2+1F_{2 n+1} F_{2 n-1}=F_{2 n}^{2}+1;
(2) Fn+m=FnFm1+FmFn+1(m1F_{n+m}=F_{n} F_{m-1}+F_{m} F_{n+1}(m \geqslant 1, n0)n \geqslant 0), particularly F2n+1=Fn2+Fn+12F_{2 n+1}=F_{n}^{2}+F_{n+1}^{2};
 (3) 1+F2n12+F2n+12=3F2n1F2n+1(n1) \text { (3) } 1+F_{2 n-1}^{2}+F_{2 n+1}^{2}=3 F_{2 n-1} F_{2 n+1}(n \geqslant 1) \text {. }

Proof of the lemma: (1) Let xn=Fn+1Fn1Fn2x_{n}=F_{n+1} F_{n-1}-F_{n}^{2}. Then x1=1x_{1}=-1.
 Since xn+1=Fn+2FnFn+12=(Fn+1+Fn)FnFn+12=Fn2Fn+1(Fn+1Fn)=Fn2Fn+1Fn1=xn, \begin{array}{l} \text { Since } x_{n+1}=F_{n+2} F_{n}-F_{n+1}^{2} \\ =\left(F_{n+1}+F_{n}\right) F_{n}-F_{n+1}^{2} \\ =F_{n}^{2}-F_{n+1}\left(F_{n+1}-F_{n}\right) \\ =F_{n}^{2}-F_{n+1} F_{n-1}=-x_{n}, \end{array}

Therefore, xn=(1)nx_{n}=(-1)^{n}, i.e.,
Fn+1Fn1Fn2=(1)n F_{n+1} F_{n-1}-F_{n}^{2}=(-1)^{n} \text {. }
(2) Induction on nn: For n=0n=0, it is clearly true. Assume for n=kn=k, Fk+m=FkFm1+FmFk+1F_{k+m}=F_{k} F_{m-1}+F_{m} F_{k+1}. For n=k+1n=k+1,
Fk+m+1=FkFm+Fm+1Fk+1=FkFm+(Fm+Fm1)Fk+1=Fk+1Fm1+Fm(Fk+Fk+1)=Fk+1Fm1+FmFk+2, \begin{array}{l} F_{k+m+1}=F_{k} F_{m}+F_{m+1} F_{k+1} \\ =F_{k} F_{m}+\left(F_{m}+F_{m-1}\right) F_{k+1} \\ =F_{k+1} F_{m-1}+F_{m}\left(F_{k}+F_{k+1}\right) \\ =F_{k+1} F_{m-1}+F_{m} F_{k+2}, \end{array}

Thus, it holds for n=k+1n=k+1.
Therefore, Fn+m=FnFm1+FmFn+1F_{n+m}=F_{n} F_{m-1}+F_{m} F_{n+1}.
Taking m=n+1m=n+1 as a special case.
(3) For n=1n=1, 1+F12+F32=6=3F1F31+F_{1}^{2}+F_{3}^{2}=6=3 F_{1} F_{3}, which is true.
Assume for n=kn=k,
1+F2k12+F2k+12=3F2k1F2k+1 1+F_{2 k-1}^{2}+F_{2 k+1}^{2}=3 F_{2 k-1} F_{2 k+1} \text {. }

For n=k+1n=k+1, since F2k1F_{2 k-1} is a root of the equation
x23F2k+1x+1+F2k+12=0 x^{2}-3 F_{2 k+1} x+1+F_{2 k+1}^{2}=0

the other root is
3F2k+1F2k1=2F2k+1+F2k=F2k+1+F2k+2=F2k+3, \begin{array}{c} 3 F_{2 k+1}-F_{2 k-1}=2 F_{2 k+1}+F_{2 k} \\ =F_{2 k+1}+F_{2 k+2}=F_{2 k+3}, \end{array}

Thus, 1+F2k+12+F2k+32=3F2k+1F2k+31+F_{2 k+1}^{2}+F_{2 k+3}^{2}=3 F_{2 k+1} F_{2 k+3}.
Hence, 1+F2n12+F2n+12=3F2n1F2n+11+F_{2 n-1}^{2}+F_{2 n+1}^{2}=3 F_{2 n-1} F_{2 n+1}.
Returning to the original problem.
By Lemma (3),
(x,y,z)=(3,3F2n1,3F2n+1)(n2) (x, y, z)=\left(3,3 F_{2 n-1}, 3 F_{2 n+1}\right)(n \geqslant 2)

is a solution to x2+y2+z2=xyzx^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=x y z, and by Lemmas (2) and (1),
3×3F2n1=(3Fn1)2+(3Fn)2,3×3F2n+1=(3Fn)2+(3Fn+1)2,3F2n1×3F2n+1=(3F2n)2+32. \begin{array}{l} 3 \times 3 F_{2 n-1}=\left(3 F_{n-1}\right)^{2}+\left(3 F_{n}\right)^{2}, \\ 3 \times 3 F_{2 n+1}=\left(3 F_{n}\right)^{2}+\left(3 F_{n+1}\right)^{2}, \\ 3 F_{2 n-1} \times 3 F_{2 n+1}=\left(3 F_{2 n}\right)^{2}+3^{2} . \end{array}

Therefore, the original equation has infinitely many positive integer solutions (an,bn,cn)\left(a_{n}, b_{n}, c_{n}\right), such that among an,bn,cna_{n}, b_{n}, c_{n}, the product of any two numbers can be expressed as the sum of the squares of two positive integers.
Thus, the conclusion of the original problem is true.

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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.