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Algebra Difficulty 7.3 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Determine whether or not there are any positive integral solutions of the simultaneous equations x12+x22++x19852=y3,x13+x23++x19853=z2\begin{align*} x_1^2 +x_2^2 +\cdots +x_{1985}^2 & = y^3,\\ x_1^3 +x_2^3 +\cdots +x_{1985}^3 & = z^2 \end{align*} with distinct integers x1,x2,,x1985x_1,x_2,\cdots,x_{1985} .

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Lemma: For a positive integer nn , 13+23++n3=(1+2++n)21^3+2^3+\cdots +n^3 = (1+2+\cdots +n)^2 (Also known as Nicomachus's theorem)
Proof by induction: The identity holds for 11 . Suppose the identity holds for a number nn . It is well known that the sum of first nn positive integers is n(n+1)2=n2+n2\frac{n(n+1)}{2} = \frac{n^2+n}{2} . Thus its square is n4+2n3+n24\frac{n^4+2n^3+n^2}{4} . Adding (n+1)3=n3+3n2+3n+1(n+1)^3=n^3+3n^2+3n+1 to this we get n4+6n3+13n2+12n+44\frac{n^4+6n^3+13n^2+12n+4}{4} , which can be rewritten as (n4+4n3+6n2+4n+1)+2(n3+3n2+3n+1)+(n2+2n+1)4\frac{(n^4+4n^3+6n^2+4n+1)+2(n^3+3n^2+3n+1)+(n^2+2n+1)}{4} This simplifies to (n+1)4+2(n+1)3+(n+1)24=((n+1)2+(n+1)2)2=(1+2++n+(n+1))2\frac{(n+1)^4+2(n+1)^3+(n+1)^2}{4} = ({\frac{(n+1)^2+(n+1)}{2}})^2 = (1+2+\cdots +n+(n+1))^2 . The induction is complete.
Let jj be the sum 1+2+19851+2+\cdots 1985 , and let kk be the sum 12+22++198521^2 + 2^2 + \cdots + 1985^2 . Then assign xix_i the value ik4ik^4 for each i=1,2,1985i = 1, 2,\cdots 1985 . Then: x12+x22++x19852=12k8+22k8++19852k8=k8(12+22++19852)=k9=(k3)3x13+x23++x19853=13k12+23k12+19853k12=k12(13+23+19853)=k12j2=(k6j)2\begin{align*} x_1^2 +x_2^2 +\cdots +x_{1985}^2 & = 1^2k^8 +2^2k^8+\cdots +1985^2k^8 = k^8(1^2+2^2+\cdots +1985^2) = k^9 = {(k^3)}^3\\ x_1^3 +x_2^3 +\cdots +x_{1985}^3 & = 1^3k^{12}+2^3k^{12}+\cdots 1985^3k^{12}=k^{12}(1^3+2^3+\cdots 1985^3) = k^{12}j^2 = ({k^6j})^2 \end{align*}
Thus, a positive integral solution exists.
-Circling

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