Mysterious Integer

Algebra Level 3

n 3 ( 4 n 2 + 6 n + 3 ) \dfrac{n}{3}\big(4n^2 +6n +3\big)

Let n n be a positive integer which makes the above product a triangular number .

How many solutions are there for n n ?


The answer is 0.

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2 solutions

Let p = 2 n + 1 p=2n+1 . Then n 3 ( 4 n 2 + 6 n + 3 ) = 2 n 6 ( 4 n 2 + 4 n + 1 + ( 2 n + 1 ) + 1 ) = p 1 6 ( p 2 + p + 1 ) = p 3 1 6 \dfrac{n}{3}(4n^2 +6n +3) = \dfrac{2n}{6}(4n^2 +4n +1+(2n +1) +1) = \dfrac{p-1}{6}(p^2+p +1) = \dfrac{p^3-1}{6} .

Then for a triangular number equality, let p 3 1 6 = m ( m + 1 ) 2 \dfrac{p^3-1}{6} = \dfrac{m(m+1)}{2} for some m m .

Then p 3 1 = 3 m 2 + 3 m p^3 - 1 = 3m^2 + 3m .

p 3 + m 3 = m 3 + 3 m 2 + 3 m + 1 = ( m + 1 ) 3 p^3 + m^3 = m^3 + 3m^2 + 3m + 1 = (m+1)^3 .

However, according to Fermat's last theorem , no integer solutions for the equation in a form of x n + y n = z n x^n + y^n = z^n .

Therefore, there are no integer solutions n n that can satisfy all constraints.

There isn't a need to use the substitution of p=2n+1. You just need to set "n' as the subject to (n/3)(4n^2+6n+3) = m(m+1)/2, which is n = (1/2)( (3m^2 + 3m +1)^(1/3) - 1).

Or equivalently, (2n+1)^3 = 3m^3 +3m +1 <=> (2n+1)^3 + m^3 = (m+1)^3 <==> Absurd by FLT.

Pi Han Goh - 4 years, 3 months ago
Tom Engelsman
Mar 9, 2017

A triangular number has the form n ( n + 1 ) 2 \frac{n(n+1)}{2} , hence we require:

n ( n + 1 ) 2 = 4 n 3 + 6 n 2 + 3 n 3 3 n 2 + 3 n = 8 n 3 + 12 n 2 + 6 n 0 = 8 n 3 + 9 n 2 + 3 n \frac{n(n+1)}{2} = \frac{4n^3 + 6n^2 + 3n}{3} \Rightarrow 3n^2 + 3n = 8n^3 + 12n^2 + 6n \Rightarrow 0 = 8n^3 + 9n^2 + 3n

or 0 = n ( 8 n 2 + 9 n + 3 ) 0 = n(8n^2 + 9n + 3) (i)

The quadratic term is irreducible and has roots n = 9 ± 81 4 ( 8 ) ( 3 ) 16 = 9 ± 15 i 16 n = \frac{-9 \pm \sqrt{81 - 4(8)(3)}}{16} = \frac{-9 \pm \sqrt{15}i}{16} , as well as n = 0 n = 0 is the third remaining root in (i) . There are NO values n N n \in \mathbb{N} that satisfy the triangular number condition.

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