Compute the number of ordered pairs of integers (a,b), with 2≤a,b≤2021, that satisfy the equation alogb(a−4)=bloga(ba−3).
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
Taking loga of both sides and simplifying gives −4logba=(logab)2−3logab Plugging in x=logab and using logba=logab1 gives x3−3x2+4=0 We can factor the polynomial as (x−2)(x−2)(x+1), meaning b=a2 or b=a−1. The second case is impossible since both a and b are positive integers. So, we need only count the number of 1<a,b≤2021 for which b=a2, which is ⌊2021⌋−1=43.
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