9 + 16 = 25 is one of them

n 2 + ( n + 1 ) 2 + + ( n + k ) 2 = ( n + k + 1 ) 2 + + ( n + 2 k ) 2 n^2+(n+1)^2+\cdots +(n+k)^2=(n+k+1)^2+\cdots +(n+2k)^2

How many integers n n with 1 n 2016 1\leq n \leq 2016 are there such that the equation above is fulfilled for some positive integer k k ?

For example, with n = 3 , k = 1 n=3,k=1 we have the familiar Pythagorean triple 3 2 + 4 2 = 5 2 3^2+4^2=5^2 .


Precursor


The answer is 31.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Using the identity m = 1 N m 2 = N ( N + 1 ) ( 2 N + 1 ) 6 \displaystyle\sum_{m=1}^{N} m^{2} = \dfrac{N(N + 1)(2N + 1)}{6} the given equation can be written as

m = 1 n + k m 2 m = 1 n 1 m 2 = m = 1 n + 2 k m 2 m = 1 n + k m 2 2 m = 1 n + k m 2 m = 1 n 1 m 2 = m = 1 n + 2 k m 2 \displaystyle\sum_{m=1}^{n+k} m^{2} - \sum_{m=1}^{n-1} m^{2} = \sum_{m=1}^{n + 2k} m^{2} - \sum_{m=1}^{n + k} m^{2} \Longrightarrow 2\sum_{m=1}^{n+k}m^{2} - \sum_{m=1}^{n-1} m^{2} = \sum_{m=1}^{n + 2k} m^{2}

2 ( n + k ) ( n + k + 1 ) ( 2 n + 2 k + 1 ) 6 ( n 1 ) ( n ) ( 2 n 1 ) 6 = ( n + 2 k ) ( n + 2 k + 1 ) ( 2 n + 4 k + 1 ) 6 . \Longrightarrow \dfrac{2(n + k)(n + k + 1)(2n + 2k + 1)}{6} - \dfrac{(n - 1)(n)(2n - 1)}{6} = \dfrac{(n + 2k)(n + 2k + 1)(2n + 4k + 1)}{6}.

Expanding and simplifying yields the quadratic n 2 2 k 2 n k 2 ( 1 + 2 k ) = 0 n^{2} - 2k^{2}n - k^{2}(1 + 2k) = 0 , for which

n = 2 k 2 ± 4 k 4 + 4 k 2 ( 1 + 2 k ) 2 = k 2 ± k k 2 + ( 1 + 2 k ) = k 2 ± k ( k + 1 ) 2 = k 2 ± k ( k + 1 ) . n = \dfrac{2k^{2} \pm \sqrt{4k^{4} + 4k^{2}(1 + 2k)}}{2} = k^{2} \pm k\sqrt{k^{2} + (1 + 2k)} = k^{2} \pm k\sqrt{(k + 1)^{2}} = k^{2} \pm k(k + 1).

Now as we are looking for positive n n we need only consider the positive root

n = k 2 + k ( k + 1 ) = k ( 2 k + 1 ) . n = k^{2} + k(k + 1) = k(2k + 1).

Finally, as 31 ( 2 31 + 1 ) = 1953 < 2016 31(2*31 + 1) = 1953 \lt 2016 and 32 ( 2 32 + 1 ) = 2080 > 2016 32(2*32 + 1) = 2080 \gt 2016 we will find suitable values for n n for each integer k k such that 1 k 31 1 \le k \le 31 , and so the desired answer is 31 . \boxed{31}.

Yes, very nice! (+1)

Otto Bretscher - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

Thanks! The n = k ( 2 k + 1 ) n = k(2k + 1) result is so tidy that I suspect there may be an approach that avoids the "expansion and simplification" step, (although it didn't really take that long with pen and paper).

Brian Charlesworth - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

My solution takes advantage of the "symmetry bonus" and thus avoids some of the "expansion and simplification" steps, but not all.

Otto Bretscher - 5 years, 5 months ago
Otto Bretscher
Jan 3, 2016

To simplify the computations a bit, we can use symmetry and let n + k = m n+k=m ; the equation now takes the form ( m k ) 2 + . . . + ( m 1 ) 2 + m 2 = ( m + 1 ) 2 + . . . + ( m + k ) 2 (m-k)^2+...+(m-1)^2+m^2=(m+1)^2+...+(m+k)^2 or ( k + 1 ) m 2 2 m j = 1 k j + j = 1 k j 2 = k m 2 + 2 m j = 1 m j + j = 1 k j 2 (k+1)m^2-2m\sum_{j=1}^{k}j+\sum_{j=1}^{k}j^2=km^2+2m\sum_{j=1}^{m}j+\sum_{j=1}^{k}j^2 or m = 4 j = 1 k j = 2 k ( k + 1 ) m=4\sum_{j=1}^{k}j=2k(k+1) so that n = m k = k ( 2 k + 1 ) n=m-k=k(2k+1) . The equation k ( 2 k + 1 ) = 2016 k(2k+1)=2016 has the positive solution k = 31.5 k=31.5 so that we can let 1 k 31 1\leq k \leq 31 , giving 31 \boxed{31} solutions.

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...