Set of interesting problems.

These are some really cool problems. Try them!

  • 1x+1y=1n\displaystyle \dfrac{1}{x} + \dfrac{1}{y}=\dfrac{1}{n} has 505 ordered pairs(x,y) of positive integers that satisfy the equation. Prove that n is a perferct square.

  • Find all integer solutions of x4+y4=3x3yx^{4} + y^{4} = 3x^{3}y

  • Find the solutions of the following system of equations:

xyz=42x - \sqrt{yz} = 42

yxz=6y - \sqrt{xz} = 6

zxy=30z - \sqrt{xy} = 30

Here's the second part

#DiophantineEquations #Integers #Cool

Note by Jordi Bosch
7 years, 1 month ago

No vote yet
1 vote

  Easy Math Editor

This discussion board is a place to discuss our Daily Challenges and the math and science related to those challenges. Explanations are more than just a solution — they should explain the steps and thinking strategies that you used to obtain the solution. Comments should further the discussion of math and science.

When posting on Brilliant:

  • Use the emojis to react to an explanation, whether you're congratulating a job well done , or just really confused .
  • Ask specific questions about the challenge or the steps in somebody's explanation. Well-posed questions can add a lot to the discussion, but posting "I don't understand!" doesn't help anyone.
  • Try to contribute something new to the discussion, whether it is an extension, generalization or other idea related to the challenge.
  • Stay on topic — we're all here to learn more about math and science, not to hear about your favorite get-rich-quick scheme or current world events.

MarkdownAppears as
*italics* or _italics_ italics
**bold** or __bold__ bold

- bulleted
- list

  • bulleted
  • list

1. numbered
2. list

  1. numbered
  2. list
Note: you must add a full line of space before and after lists for them to show up correctly
paragraph 1

paragraph 2

paragraph 1

paragraph 2

[example link](https://brilliant.org)example link
> This is a quote
This is a quote
    # I indented these lines
    # 4 spaces, and now they show
    # up as a code block.

    print "hello world"
# I indented these lines
# 4 spaces, and now they show
# up as a code block.

print "hello world"
MathAppears as
Remember to wrap math in \( ... \) or \[ ... \] to ensure proper formatting.
2 \times 3 2×3 2 \times 3
2^{34} 234 2^{34}
a_{i-1} ai1 a_{i-1}
\frac{2}{3} 23 \frac{2}{3}
\sqrt{2} 2 \sqrt{2}
\sum_{i=1}^3 i=13 \sum_{i=1}^3
\sin \theta sinθ \sin \theta
\boxed{123} 123 \boxed{123}

Comments

For the last one, there are no solutions. Suppose (x,y,z) (x,y,z) was a solution, and note that x,y,z x,y,z must all be positive (indeed, they are at least 42,6, 42,6, and 30 30 respectively). The equations imply x>yz,y>xz,z>xy. x > \sqrt{yz}, y > \sqrt{xz}, z > \sqrt{xy}. Multiplying all these gives xyz>xyz xyz > xyz , which is a contradiction.

Patrick Corn - 7 years ago

Log in to reply

Wau! I solved it in a much really complicated way!. Thanks!

Jordi Bosch - 7 years ago

For the second one:

Since 33x3y 3|3x^3y ,then 3x4+y43|x^4+y^4.That means that 3|x and 3|y.

Let x and y be the smallest integer solutions.From before, x=3x1x=3x_1 and y=3y1y=3y_1

So x14+y14=3x13y1x_1^4+y_1^4=3x_1^3y_1

This is a solution clearly smaller than x and y which is a contradiction.Thus there are no solutions in positive integers.

Bogdan Simeonov - 7 years, 1 month ago

Log in to reply

Your conclusion also proves that (x,y)=(0,0)(x,y)=(0,0), the trivial solution, is the only solution over all integers.

Daniel Liu - 7 years, 1 month ago

Nice idea! This is the way I solved it:

  • Consider gcd(x,y)=1gcd(x,y)=1 because if they shared any factor we could divide the whole equation by it and it would remain identical. Now we see the RHS is multiple of 3, so the LHS must also. Since quartics are quadratics also and we know they are congruent with0,1 0, 1 modulo3 3. We get the LHS must be congruent with 0 modulo 3. But that's impossible because it' d mean x and y are congruent 0 modulo 3 and so they both are multiples of 3 contradicting the fact that gcd(x,y)=1gcd(x,y)=1

Jordi Bosch - 7 years ago

Here is the second part. Follow me if you want more problems!

Jordi Bosch - 7 years ago

First one:

Clearing denominators gives xy=nx+nyxy=nx+ny or xynxny=0xy-nx-ny=0.

Using Simon's Favorite Factoring Trick, we get (xn)(yn)=n2(x-n)(y-n)=n^2.

We are given that this has 505505 ordered pairs of positive integers that satisfy it. Note that x,ynx,y \ge n or else one of them is negative. Thus, xnx-n and yny-n are both positive, so we just need to equate the number of factors of n2n^2 to 505505.

We have a few cases now:

n2=p504n^2=p^{504} for a prime pp. Clearly, n=p252n=p^{252}, so nn is a perfect square.

n2=p4q100n^2=p^4\cdot q^{100} for primes p,qp,q. Clearly, n=p2q50n=p^2\cdot q^{50}, so nn is a perfect square.

QED

Daniel Liu - 7 years, 1 month ago

Log in to reply

Same solution as mine! you nailed it!

Jordi Bosch - 7 years ago
×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...