Advance Happy New Year 2015!!

Find the sum of all positive intever values of x , y x, y that satisfy

x 4 + y 4 = 2015. x^4 + y^4 = 2015.


The answer is 0.

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5 solutions

Ryan Tamburrino
Dec 11, 2014

The fourth power of x leaves a residue of 0 or 1 mod 4. However, 2015 is congruent to 3 mod 4. Thus, no values of x and y satisfy the equation.

Nice, easy and clear. Upvoted.

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 6 months ago
Abdullah Shahriar
Dec 18, 2014

x 4 0 , 1 ( m o d 4 ) x^4\equiv 0,1 \pmod{4}

y 4 0 , 1 ( m o d 4 ) y^4\equiv 0,1 \pmod{4}

\Rightarrow ( x 4 + y 4 ) 0 , 1 , 2 ( m o d 4 ) (x^4+y^4)\equiv 0,1,2 \pmod{4}

\Rightarrow But 2015 3 ( m o d 4 ) 2015\equiv 3 \pmod{4}

\Rightarrow So no such x or y exists. Therefore the ans is 0 \boxed{0}

Adarsh Kumar
Dec 11, 2014

Key technique:What we are going to do here is divide 'x' and 'y' into various categories based on the remainder they leave when divided by 4.Keep in mind that 2015 leaves a remainder of 3 when divided by4. { x 4 a 4 a + 1 4 a + 2 4 a + 3 { b 4 b 4 b + 1 4 b + 2 4 b + 3 \begin{cases}\underline{x}\\4*a\\4*a+1\\4*a+2\\4*a+3\end{cases}\begin{cases}\underline{b}\\4*b\\4*b+1\\4*b+2\\4*b+3\end{cases} Now, x 4 x^{4} and y 4 y^{4} can leave remainders, { 0 ( 4 b , 4 a ) 1 ( 4 b + 1 , 4 a + 1 ) 0 ( 4 b + 2 , 4 a + 2 ) 1 ( 4 b + 3 , 4 b + 3 ) . \begin{cases}\\0(4*b,4*a)\\1(4*b+1,4*a+1)\\0(4*b+2,4*a+2)\\1(4*b+3,4*b+3)\end{cases}. Thus, L . H . S L.H.S can leave remainders, 0 , 1 , 2 0,1,2 when divide by 4 4 but the R . H . S R.H.S leaves a remainder of 3 3 when divided by 4. 4. Thus,there are no possible pairs.

2015 4 = 6.6999. x , y < 7. H o w e v e r 2015 i s o d d o n e o f x 4 a n d y 4 m u s t b e o d d o t h e r e v e n . S t a r t i n g w i t h x = 1 , 2015 1 4 = 2014 i s n o t a f o u r t h p o w e r o f a n i n t e g e r . x = 3 , 2015 3 4 = 1934 i s n o t a f o u r t h p o w e r o f a n i n t e g e r . x = 5 , 2015 5 4 = 390 i s n o t a f o u r t h p o w e r o f a n i n t e g e r . x < 7 s o t h e r e a r e n o o t h e r e i n t e g e r s t o c h e c k . n o i n t e g e r x , y s a t i s f y t h e e q u a t i o n . \sqrt[4]{2015} =6.6999. ~~\implies~~ x,y<7.\\However~ 2015~is ~odd~ \therefore ~one ~of~x^4~and~y^4~ must~be~odd~other~even.\\Starting~with\\~x=1,~ 2015-1^4 =2014~is ~not~a~fourth~power~of~an ~integer.\\~~~x=3,~ 2015-3^4=1934~is ~not~a~fourth~power~of~an ~integer.\\~~~~~x=5,~2015-5^4=390~is ~not~a~fourth~power~of~an ~integer. \\x<7 so~ there~ are~no~othere~integers~to~check. \\\therefore~no~integer~x,y~satisfy~the~equation.

I wonder how come the "correct" answer is zero if there are no solutions to the given problem. If it was given to write THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE INTEGER solution then yes, zero is the answer, but in this case the sum is empty and an empty sum can be zero, one or whatever one defines.

Toño Perez - 6 years, 4 months ago
Cantdo Math
Apr 29, 2020

Taking mod 4 4 the L.H.S should be 1 or 0 or 2,but the right side is 3 modulo 4.contradiction,such number don't exist.

Hence,the answer is 0 \boxed{0} .

the exponent could even be 2,the exact same argument would still work.

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