Maths Olympiad Prep

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Problem 1147

AIME late
Number theory Difficulty 5.1 Prove it Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad · North Macedonia

Find all positive integers nn such that n2n+1+1n2^{n+1}+1 is a perfect square.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

Clearly, n2n+1+1n2^{n+1}+1 is odd, so, if this number is a perfect square then
n2n+1+1=(2x+1)2n2^{n+1}+1=(2x+1)^2, xNx \in \mathbb{N}, whence n2n1=x(x+1)n2^{n-1}=x(x+1).

The integers xx and x+1x+1 are coprime,
so one of them must be divisible by 2n12^{n-1},
which means that the other must be at most
nn. This shows that 2n1n+12^{n-1} \le n+1.

An easy induction shows that the above
inequality is false for all n4n \ge 4, and a direct
inspection confirms that the only
convenient values in the case n3n \le 3 are
00 and 33.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.