Factoring Factorial

How many non negative integers are there such that n ! + 10 n!+10 is a perfect square? Enter your answer as 1 plus the number of such integers.


The answer is 2.

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2 solutions

Tasmeem Reza
Jul 30, 2014

It's easy to check that n = 3 n=3 is the only solution . . Let n ! + 10 = j 2 n!+10=j^{2} for some integer j j

Note that, n ! + 10 n!+10 is always even for n > 1 , n > 1, which implies j j is also even for n > 1 n > 1

Again note that, if n 4 , n\geq4,\: then n ! 0 ( m o d 4 ) n! \equiv 0\: (mod\: 4) and 10 2 ( m o d 4 ) . 10 \equiv 2\: (mod\: 4). Which implies j 2 n ! + 10 0 + 2 2 ( m o d 4 ) j^{2} \equiv n!+10 \equiv 0+2 \equiv 2 \: (mod\: 4)

But we know, j 2 0 ( m o d 4 ) [ a s j i s e v e n ] j^{2} \equiv 0\: (mod\: 4)\: [as\: j\: is\: even]

Here we have a contradiction as 0 ≢ 2 ( m o d 4 ) , 0\not\equiv2\:(mod\:4), which proves that for n 4 , n\geq4, the value of n ! + 10 n!+10 can't be a perfect square.

Now we are left with n = 0 , 1 , 2 a n d 3. n=0,1,2\: and\: 3. By Trial and Error it's easy to check that n = 3 n=3 is the only solution.

Thus the answer is 1 + 1 = 2 1+1=\boxed{2}

awesome and brilliant!!!!!

Adarsh Kumar - 6 years, 10 months ago

Really good.

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Hey krishna will you ppease solve a question for me:- Number of roots of the equation Z^2+zbar=0 is??? Here z is a complex number and zbar is conjugate of z please soove it yaar

Aman Sharma - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Sure...I think its fairly easy if only the number is asked- it's 2..cuz the highest degree indicates number of roots...but if you ask say the number of real/imaginary roots...it changes....

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar I think you are talking about fundamantel theoram of algebra which says a polynomial of degree n has n roots right But in this case the thing that confuses me is that since z and zbar are two different variables so its not a normal quardritic polinomial

Further if it has more then 2 roots then isn't it contradicting fundamantel theoram of algebra

Please explain

Aman Sharma - 6 years, 10 months ago

Really interesting one...

Tatikonda Ravi Kishore - 6 years, 10 months ago
Kartik Sharma
Jul 31, 2014

For the first few integers, we can check

1! + 10 = 11, NO

2! + 10 = 12, NO

3! + 10 = 16, YES YES YES YES

4! + 10 = 34, NO

After this, we can change n! + 10 to

2(5 + n!/2)

But after 4! every factorial will yield at least a zero at the end. Therefore, it will look something like

2(.......5), so we will never get another 2 to make it a perfect square. Hence, there are no more such integers. And, thus the answer is 1 + 1 = 2 \boxed 2

I would appreciate Tasmeem's solution because I didn't get it!!! ;)

I think your one is nicer and simpler approach

tasmeem reza - 6 years, 10 months ago

nice problem @Krishna Ar !!!

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 10 months ago

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