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XVIII OBM

Brazil number theory

Problem

Show that the equation has infinitely many solutions in positive integers.
Solution
We can regard as a quadratic in . So if is a solution, then so is .

Also we have , so . So , and the new solution has larger largest element.

So starting with the solution and repeating, we get infinitely many solutions.

Techniques

Techniques: modulo, size analysis, order analysis, inequalitiesVieta's formulas