Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 123 of 400 #1123 of 2000

Problem 1123

National olympiad, first round
Number theory Difficulty 6.2 Prove it Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad · JBMO

Problem:

If the positive integers xx and yy are such that both 3x+4y3x + 4y and 4x+3y4x + 3y are perfect squares, prove that both xx and yy are multiples of 77.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

Solution:

Let
3x+4y=m2,4x+3y=n2 3x + 4y = m^2, \quad 4x + 3y = n^2
Then
7(x+y)=m2+n27m2+n2 7(x + y) = m^2 + n^2 \Rightarrow 7 \mid m^2 + n^2
Considering m=7k+rm = 7k + r, r{0,1,2,3,4,5,6}r \in \{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\}, we find that m2u(mod7)m^2 \equiv u \pmod{7}, u{0,1,2,4}u \in \{0, 1, 2, 4\} and similarly n2v(mod7)n^2 \equiv v \pmod{7}, v{0,1,2,4}v \in \{0, 1, 2, 4\}. Therefore, we have either m2+n20(mod7)m^2 + n^2 \equiv 0 \pmod{7}, when u=v=0u = v = 0, or m2+n2w(mod7)m^2 + n^2 \equiv w \pmod{7}, w{1,2,3,4,5,6}w \in \{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\}.

However, from (2) we have that m2+n20(mod7)m^2 + n^2 \equiv 0 \pmod{7} and hence u=v=0u = v = 0 and
m2+n20(mod72)7(x+y)0(mod72) m^2 + n^2 \equiv 0 \pmod{7^2} \Rightarrow 7(x + y) \equiv 0 \pmod{7^2}
and consequently
x+y0(mod7) x + y \equiv 0 \pmod{7}
Moreover, from (1) we have xy=n2m2x - y = n^2 - m^2 and n2m20(mod7)n^2 - m^2 \equiv 0 \pmod{7} (since u=v=0u = v = 0), so
xy0(mod7) x - y \equiv 0 \pmod{7}
From (3) and (4) we have that x+y=7kx + y = 7k, xy=7lx - y = 7l, where kk and ll are positive integers. Hence
2x=7(k+l),2y=7(kl) 2x = 7(k + l), \quad 2y = 7(k - l)
where k+lk + l and klk - l are positive integers. It follows that 72x7 \mid 2x and 72y7 \mid 2y, and finally 7x7 \mid x and 7y7 \mid y.

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