Out of Nowhere?

9 n + 2 8 n + 3 3 n + 7 1 n + 7 6 n + 9 5 n = A n + B n + C n + D n + E n + F n 9^n + 28^n + 33^n + 71^n + 76^n + 95^n = A^n + B^n + C^n + D^n + E^n + F^n

The equation above holds true for n = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and distinct integers A A , B B , C C , D D , E E , and F F that are different from any of the permutations of those on the LHS.

Find A × B × C × D × E × F A\times B\times C \times D \times E \times F . You may use a calculator for the final step of your computation.


The answer is 4507992720.

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1 solution

Efren Medallo
May 19, 2017

Gelfond allegedly established the following identity for any positive real number a a , b b , and c c , and n = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 n= 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 .

a n + ( a + b + 4 c ) n + ( a + 2 b + c ) n + ( a + 4 b + 9 c ) n + ( a + 5 b + 6 c ) n + ( a + 6 b + 10 c ) n = ( a + b ) n + ( a + c ) n + ( a + 2 b + 6 c ) n + ( a + 4 b + 4 c ) n + ( a + 5 b + 10 c ) n + ( a + 6 b + 9 c ) n a^n + (a+b+4c)^n + (a+2b+c)^n + (a+4b+9c)^n + (a+5b+6c)^n + (a+6b+10c)^n = (a+b)^n + (a+c)^n + (a+2b + 6c)^n + (a+4b+4c)^n + (a+5b + 10c)^n + (a+6b+9c)^n

Note that all of the terms in the equation are given as integers. However, it could be that some of a a , b b , and c c may be non integers. Nonetheless, they must still produce integers at all the terms of the expression.

That should be the case if the denominators would be a factor of 180 180 ( lcm ( 4 , 5 , 9 ) \text{lcm}(4,5,9) ), with numerators greater than it, since this will yield integers in all the terms of the equation. However, this, too, is only plausible when none of the terms involve a single a a , or b b , or c c . Since none of these conditions can be applied to the equation, we resort to the condition that all of a a , b b , and c c are integers.

So, we choose any three terms on the LHS of the general equation, and equate them to any of the three terms on the LHS of the given equation, to give us a system of equations in a a , b b , and c c . If any among a a , b b and c c become non integers, then we may have mismatched the expressions on the general equation to the given.

For instance, if we let a = 9 a=9 , and we assign a + b + 4 c = 28 a+b+4c = 28 , and a + 2 b + c = 33 a+2b+c = 33 , we will get b = 11 b=11 and c = 2 c=2 .

Now, we can substitute these for all the terms at the right hand side, giving us

A = 20 , B = 11 , C = 43 , D = 61 , E = 84 , F = 93 A = 20, B= 11, C= 43, D=61, E=84, F=93

That gives us 20 × 11 × 43 × 61 × 84 × 93 = 4507992720 20\times 11 \times 43 \times 61 \times 84 \times 93 = \boxed{4507992720} .

This is now the identity we have come up with, for n = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 n=0,1,2,3,4,5 .

9 n + 2 8 n + 3 3 n + 7 1 n + 7 6 n + 9 5 n = 2 0 n + 1 1 n + 4 3 n + 6 1 n + 8 4 n + 9 3 n 9^n + 28^n + 33^n + 71^n + 76^n + 95^n = 20^n + 11^n + 43^n + 61^n + 84^n + 93^n

The reasoning presented in the third paragraph about why a , b , c a, b, c have to be integers seems extremely hand-wavy (and I'm not fully certain that it is correct). What we want to do, is to argue why "if these 12 numbers are integers, then so must a , b , c a , b, c ". For example, a quick way of doing so, it that a a is an integer from the first term on the LHS, and from the first 2 terms from the RHS, b b and c c must be integers.

Calvin Lin Staff - 4 years ago

This is too vague. I want to see someone else's solution, other than the problem setter.

akshat bhardwaj - 4 years ago

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