n 2 + ( n + 1 ) 2 + ⋯ + ( n + k ) 2 = ( n + k + 1 ) 2 + ⋯ + ( n + 2 k ) 2
How many integers n with 1 ≤ n ≤ 2 0 1 6 are there such that the equation above is fulfilled for some positive integer k ?
For example, with n = 3 , k = 1 we have the familiar Pythagorean triple 3 2 + 4 2 = 5 2 .
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Yes, very nice! (+1)
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Thanks! The n = k ( 2 k + 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).
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My solution takes advantage of the "symmetry bonus" and thus avoids some of the "expansion and simplification" steps, but not all.
To simplify the computations a bit, we can use symmetry and let n + k = m ; the equation now takes the form ( 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 or m = 4 j = 1 ∑ k j = 2 k ( k + 1 ) so that n = m − k = k ( 2 k + 1 ) . The equation k ( 2 k + 1 ) = 2 0 1 6 has the positive solution k = 3 1 . 5 so that we can let 1 ≤ k ≤ 3 1 , giving 3 1 solutions.
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Using the identity m = 1 ∑ N m 2 = 6 N ( N + 1 ) ( 2 N + 1 ) 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
⟹ 6 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 ) .
Expanding and simplifying yields the quadratic n 2 − 2 k 2 n − k 2 ( 1 + 2 k ) = 0 , for which
n = 2 2 k 2 ± 4 k 4 + 4 k 2 ( 1 + 2 k ) = k 2 ± k k 2 + ( 1 + 2 k ) = k 2 ± k ( k + 1 ) 2 = k 2 ± k ( k + 1 ) .
Now as we are looking for positive n we need only consider the positive root
n = k 2 + k ( k + 1 ) = k ( 2 k + 1 ) .
Finally, as 3 1 ( 2 ∗ 3 1 + 1 ) = 1 9 5 3 < 2 0 1 6 and 3 2 ( 2 ∗ 3 2 + 1 ) = 2 0 8 0 > 2 0 1 6 we will find suitable values for n for each integer k such that 1 ≤ k ≤ 3 1 , and so the desired answer is 3 1 .