Twisting the Egyptian Fractions!

1 m + 4 n = 1 12 \large{\dfrac{1}{m} + \dfrac{4}{n} = \dfrac{1}{12} }

How many ordered pairs of positive integers ( m , n ) (m,n) exists satisfying the above equation such that n n is an odd number?

0 1 6 5 2 \infty 3 4

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2 solutions

Akshat Sharda
Aug 25, 2015

1 m + 4 n = 1 12 \Rightarrow \frac{1}{m}+\frac{4}{n}=\frac{1}{12}

12 n + 48 m = m n \Rightarrow 12n+48m=mn

m n 48 m 12 n + 576 = 576 \Rightarrow mn-48m-12n+\color{#3D99F6}{576}=\color{#3D99F6}{576}

( m 12 ) ( n 48 ) = 576 \Rightarrow (m-12)(n-48)=\color{#3D99F6}{576}

Now we just need to find pair of factors of 576 \color{#3D99F6}{576} having one of the factor as an odd number ,

576 = ( 576 , 1 ) , ( 192 , 3 ) \Rightarrow \color{#3D99F6}{576}=(576,1),(192,3) and ( 64 , 9 (64,9 )

So now the pairs ( m , n ) (m,n) are ( 588 , 49 ) , ( 204 , 51 ) \Rightarrow (588,49),(204,51) and ( 76 , 57 ) (76,57) are only possible pairs.

Answer : 3 \huge \boxed{3} pairs.

Pretty solution. Nice use of colours. What a fool I had been, if I had known this question would be of level 4 then I would have never attempted it unrated.

Akshay Yadav - 5 years, 9 months ago

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You know that I did the same ¨ \ddot \smile

Akshat Sharda - 5 years, 9 months ago
Chris Galanis
Aug 30, 2015

1 x + 1 y = 1 12 n + 4 m n m = 1 12 n m n + 4 m = 12 n m = 12 n + 48 m n m 12 n = 48 m n ( m 12 ) = 48 ( m 12 + 12 ) n ( m 12 ) = 48 ( m 12 ) + 48 12 n ( m 12 ) 48 ( m 12 ) = 576 ( m 12 ) ( n 48 ) = 2 6 3 2 \large{\frac1x + \frac1y = \frac{1}{12}} \\ \Rightarrow \large{\frac{n + 4\cdot m}{n\cdot m} = \frac{1}{12}} \\ \Rightarrow \large{\frac{n\cdot m}{n + 4\cdot m} = 12} \\ \Rightarrow n\cdot m = 12\cdot n + 48\cdot m \\ \Rightarrow n\cdot m - 12\cdot n = 48\cdot m \\ \Rightarrow n\cdot (m - 12) = 48\cdot (m - 12 + 12) \\ \Rightarrow n\cdot (m - 12) = 48\cdot (m - 12) + 48\cdot 12 \\ \Rightarrow n\cdot (m - 12) - 48\cdot (m - 12) = 576 \\ \Rightarrow (m - 12)\cdot (n - 48) = 2^6\cdot 3^2

Since n n is an odd number, then ( n 48 ) (n - 48) is an odd number too.

Hence ( n 48 ) { 3 0 , 3 1 , 3 2 } n { 49 , 51 , 57 } (n - 48) \in \Big\{3^0, 3^1, 3^2\Big\} \Rightarrow n \in \Big\{49, 51, 57\Big\} , so the pairs are: ( m , n ) = { ( 588 , 49 ) , ( 204 , 51 ) , ( 76 , 57 ) } \boxed{(m, n) = \Big\{(588, 49), (204, 51), (76, 57)\Big\}}

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