Number theoryDifficulty 6.3Prove itEstonian Math Competitions · Estonia
Find all positive integers k for which there is a right triangle with legs of integral lengths and hypotenuse of length 88…822…2, where the number under the root consists of exactly k eights and exactly k twos.
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Let the lengths of legs be a and b. By the Pythagorean theorem, a2+b2=88…822…2. If k=1 then one can choose a=9 and b=1 as 92+12=82. If k≥2 then 88…822…2≡6(mod8) since 822≡6(mod8) and 222≡6(mod8). On the other hand, the residues of a2 and b2 modulo 8 can be 0, 1, or 4. However, the sum of such two numbers can have residue 0, 1, 2, 4, or 5 modulo 8. Consequently, a2+b2=88…822…2 cannot hold for k≥2.
Solution 2
Let the lengths of legs be a and b. By the Pythagorean theorem, a2+b2=88…822…2. If k=1 then one can choose a=9 and b=1 as 92+12=82. Assume in the rest that k≥2. It is known that a positive integer is expressible as the sum of two squares of integers if and only if its canonical representation contains primes congruent to 3 modulo 4 only with even exponents. Note that 88…822…2=2⋅44…411…1, where only the odd second factor can be divisible by primes congruent to 3 modulo 4. If all such primes would occur with even exponents in the canonical representation of 44…411…1, this number itself would be congruent to 1 modulo 4, but actually 44…411…1≡3(mod4). This shows that right triangles with the required property cannot exist in the case k≥2.
Source: MathNet,
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