Don't check Primality

Find the number of positive rational numbers pairs ( x , y ) (x, y) such that

x + y + 1 x + 1 y = 2019 \large\ x + y + \frac1x + \frac1y = 2019


The answer is 0.

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1 solution

Kushal Bose
Nov 22, 2016

Proposition : Sum of any fraction and its inverse can not be an integer.

Consider a fraction p q \dfrac{p}{q} .Now assume that p q + q p = m \dfrac{p}{q} + \dfrac{q}{p}=m where m Z m \in \mathbb{Z}

So p 2 + q 2 = m p q p 2 m p q + q 2 = 0 p^2+q^2=mpq \\ \implies p^2-mpq+q^2=0 .As p p is an integer so its discriminant should be an integer.

D = m 2 4 m 2 D 2 = 4 ( m + D ) ( m D ) = 4 D=\sqrt{m^2-4} \\ \implies m^2-D^2=4 \\ \implies (m+D)(m-D)=4 .

From this the only solution is D = 0 , m = 2 , D=0,m=2, .Putting m = 2 m=2 yields p = q p=q which implies no fraction exists.

Now coming to the main problem.As stated that solution can be rational numbers we can assume

x = a b and y = c d x=\dfrac{a}{b} \,\text{and} \, y=\dfrac{c}{d} where a , b , c , d Z ; g c d ( a , b ) = g c d ( c , d ) = 1 ; b , d 0 a,b,c,d \in \mathbb{Z};gcd(a,b)=gcd(c,d)=1;b,d \neq 0

The expression becomes a b + c d + b a + d c = 2019 \dfrac{a}{b} + \dfrac{c}{d} + \dfrac{b}{a}+ \dfrac{d}{c}=2019

Case(1): if x , y Z x,y \in Z then inverses can not become an integer untill they are 1 / 2 1/2 .But they cannt be half because it is not a solution.

Case(2):if x = n Z ; y = p q Q x=n\in Z; y=\frac{p}{q} \in Q and vice-versa..

n + 1 / n + p / q + q / p = 2019 1 / n + p / q + q / p = 2019 n = I n+1/n+p/q+q/p=2019 \\ 1/n+p/q+q/p=2019-n=I .This will not give any solutions.

Case(3) When both x , y Q x,y \in Q then a b + c d + b a + d c = 2019 \dfrac{a}{b} + \dfrac{c}{d} + \dfrac{b}{a}+ \dfrac{d}{c}=2019

The sum of fraction and its inverse will not make any integer.So now consider a b + c d = k Z \dfrac{a}{b} + \dfrac{c}{d}=k \in Z and b a + d c = l Z \dfrac{b}{a}+ \dfrac{d}{c}=l \in Z .Multiply this:

( a b + c d ) ( b a + d c ) = k l (\dfrac{a}{b} + \dfrac{c}{d})(\dfrac{b}{a}+ \dfrac{d}{c})=kl

1 + a d b c + 1 + b c a d = k l a d b c + b c a d = k l 2 1+ \dfrac{ad}{bc} +1 + \dfrac{bc}{ad}=kl \\ \dfrac{ad}{bc} + \dfrac{bc}{ad}=kl-2 .But we proved earlier that fraction and sum with its inverse will never yields an integer.(Here fraction is a d b c \dfrac{ad}{bc} )

if here c a c|a and b d b|d then a d b c \dfrac{ad}{bc} will be an integer but b c a d \dfrac{bc}{ad} will again become an fraction.

So there is no rationals x , y x,y exists.

Good solution.

What if I replace 2019 by 3n for some positive natural n?

Could you prove that it has no solutions for any n?

Priyanshu Mishra - 4 years, 6 months ago

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I will try This solution is partially incomplete as I cannot prove the case(2).Can u complete it

Kushal Bose - 4 years, 6 months ago

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