Who Knows Pythagoras?

  • Let a a be the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle; with other two sides being 5 5 and 12 12 respectively.
  • Let b b be the sum of all positive integers which cannot be the sides of a integer-sided right angled triangle.
  • Let c c be the greatest common divisor of all possible values of x y z xyz , where x x , y y , and z z are the integral sides of a right angled triangle subject to x + y + z 100 x+y+z \ge 100 .
  • Let d d be the number of different integer-sided right-angled triangles with one of the sides equal to 385 385 .

Determine a + b + c + d a+b+c+d .


The answer is 90.

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1 solution

Aditya Raut
Jan 5, 2015

Obviously a = 13 \boxed{a=13} .


b b is just a little trick, and it is that observe every odd prime number is in a Pythagorean triplet, and the triplet ( p , p 2 1 2 , p 2 + 1 2 ) \Bigl(p,\frac{p^2-1}{2}, \frac{p^2+1}{2} \Bigr) holds for all primes, hence for all multiples of odd primes.

About powers of 2, as 4 4 comes in the triplet ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) (3,4,5) , all the powers of 2 greater than 2 2 = 4 2^2=4 will be in some triplet.

So only people who remain are 2 2 and 1 1 , whose sum gives b = 3 \boxed{b=3}


Now c c can be determined by using Modular Arithmetic, specifically the fact that

Quadratic residues of 3 3 and also for 4 4 , are ( 0 , 1 ) (0,1) ; for 5 5 , they're ( 0 , 1 , 1 ) (0,1,-1)

x 2 + y 2 = z 2 x^2+y^2 = z^2 , now as no combination of 1 1 in the remainders can give possible remainder for z z , we conclude that 3 x y 3 \mid xy , similarly 4 x y 4 \mid xy and 5 x y z 5 \mid xyz .

Thus 60 x y z 60 \mid xyz .... from 2 quick examples of triplets ( 11 , 60 , 61 ) (11,60,61) and 9 × ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) = = ( 27 , 36 , 45 ) 9\times (3,4,5) == (27,36,45) , we can verify 60 60 is the maximum number. c = 60 \boxed{c=60}


The only triangle where 385 385 is Hypotenuse is ( 231 , 308 , 385 ) (231,308,385) (sorry, used programming to determine this)

The other triangles will be like

y 2 + 38 5 2 = x 2 y^2 + 385^2 = x^2 , i.e. 38 5 2 = x 2 y 2 385^2 =x^2-y^2

( x + y ) ( x y ) = 5 2 7 2 1 1 2 (x+y)(x-y) = 5^2 \cdot 7^2 \cdot 11^2

As the RHS has 27 27 integer factors, exclude 5 × 7 × 11 5\times 7\times 11 and pair other 26 into 13 pairs of factors, that will give 13 pairs of x , y x,y after solving simple simultaneous equations (didn't bother to solve them as all are different and have integer solutions).

That gives d = 1 + 13 d = 14 d=1+13 \implies \boxed{d=14}


Final answer, a + b + c + d = 13 + 3 + 60 + 14 = 90 a+b+c+d = 13+3+60+14 = \boxed{90}

c doesn't convince me at all. c is the largest integer that divides xyz. Pick any solution and multiply that by 100. It is still a Pythagorean triplet and divides 100.

Saurabh Khurana - 5 years, 7 months ago

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I think the question is what is the largest integer that divides every pythagorean triple whose sum is at least 100. Someone might clarify that?

Mark C - 5 years, 4 months ago

nice explanation.

I used the Euclid's formula in the fourth part of the question so i couldn't find n and m satisfy n 2 + m 2 = 385 n^2 + m ^2 = 385 (I even used programing to check) and only four values when 385 is one of the sides, so why using this formula was wrong in this problem?

Mehdi K. - 4 years, 11 months ago

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Euclid's formula generates all primitive Pythagorean triplets, but not all Pythagorean triplets. There are many multiples of primitive triplets that has 385, for example, 77x(3,4,5) and 55x(7,24,25) etc.

Wei Chen - 4 years, 10 months ago

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thanks for explaining

Mehdi K. - 4 years, 10 months ago

The most challenging part was to guess what the problem means for c!!!

Sam Moh - 4 years, 10 months ago

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