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Number theory Difficulty 4.8 AIME Find the answer

Let p,q,r,sp, q, r, s be distinct primes such that pqrsp q-r s is divisible by 30. Find the minimum possible value of p+q+r+sp+q+r+s.

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

Solution

The key is to realize none of the primes can be 2,3, or 5, or else we would have to use one of them twice. Hence p,q,r,sp, q, r, s must lie among 7,11,13,17,19,23,29,7,11,13,17,19,23,29, \ldots. These options give remainders of 1(mod2)1(\bmod 2) (obviously), 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,-1,1,-1,1,-1,-1, \ldots modulo 3, and 2,1,3,2,4,3,4,2,1,3,2,4,3,4, \ldots modulo 5. We automatically have 2pqrs2 \mid p q-r s, and we have 3pqrs3 \mid p q-r s if and only if pqrs(pq)21p q r s \equiv(p q)^{2} \equiv 1 (mod3)(\bmod 3), i.e. there are an even number of 1(mod3)-1(\bmod 3) 's among p,q,r,sp, q, r, s. If {p,q,r,s}={7,11,13,17}\{p, q, r, s\}=\{7,11,13,17\}, then we cannot have 5pqrs5 \mid p q-r s, or else 12pqrs(pq)2(mod5)12 \equiv p q r s \equiv(p q)^{2}(\bmod 5) is a quadratic residue. Our next smallest choice (in terms of p+q+r+sp+q+r+s ) is {7,11,17,19}\{7,11,17,19\}, which works: 71711192240(mod5)7 \cdot 17-11 \cdot 19 \equiv 2^{2}-4 \equiv 0(\bmod 5). This gives an answer of 7+17+11+19=547+17+11+19=54.

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