solve it #1

how many solutions does x(x + 1)(x + 2)(x + 3) = y^2 has for x, y ∈ N.?


The answer is 0.

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1 solution

Aareyan Manzoor
Feb 3, 2015

start of with the substitution x = u 3 2 x=u-\dfrac{3}{2} we get that ( u 3 2 ) ( u 1 2 ) ( u + 1 2 ) ( u + 3 2 ) = y 2 (u-\dfrac{3}{2})(u-\dfrac{1}{2})(u+\dfrac{1}{2})(u+\dfrac{3}{2})=y^2 upon expansin u 4 5 2 u 2 + 9 16 = y 2 u^4 -\dfrac{5}{2}u^2+\dfrac{9}{16}=y^2 multiplying both sides with 16 u 4 40 u 2 + ( 9 16 y 2 ) = 0 u^4-40u^2 +(9-16y^2)=0 using the quadratic formula u 2 = 5 ± 4 y 2 + 1 4 u^2=\dfrac{5\pm 4\sqrt{y^2+1}}{4} we see that for u^2 to be rational, y must equal 0 u 2 = = 5 + 4 4 o r 5 4 4 = 9 4 o r 1 4 u^2 =\begin{array}{c}=\dfrac{5+4}{4}\quad or\quad \dfrac{5-4}{4}\\ =\dfrac{9}{4}\quad or\quad\dfrac{1}{4} \end{array} which means u could be u = ± 3 2 , ± 1 2 u=\pm\dfrac{3}{2},\pm\dfrac{1}{2} now re-substitute and put these 4 values x = 3 2 3 2 , 3 2 3 2 , 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 x= \dfrac{3}{2}-\dfrac{3}{2},-\dfrac{3}{2}-\dfrac{3}{2},\dfrac{1}{2}-\dfrac{3}{2} -\dfrac{1}{2}-\dfrac{3}{2} x = 0 , 3 , 1 , 2 x=0,-3,-1,-2 none of which are natural numbers. so the no.of solution is, hence z e r 0 \boxed{\large{\color{#D61F06}{zer0}}}

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