Determine whether or not there exist 15 integers such that .
Solution
We show that such integers do not exist. Suppose that the equation is satisfied by some integers . Then the argument of the complex number coincides with the argument of the complex number Therefore the ratio is real (and not zero). As and is an integer, is a nonzero integer. By considering the squares of the absolute values of and , we get Notice that is a prime (the fourth Fermat prime), which yields an easy contradiction through -adic valuations: all prime factors in the right hand side are strictly below (as implies ). On the other hand, in the left hand side the prime occurs with an odd exponent.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.