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PrintUSA TSTST
United States number theory
Problem
Find all pairs of positive integers satisfying the following conditions: (i) divides , (ii) divides , (iii) .
Solution
The only solutions are , , and , which clearly work. Now we show there are no others.
Obviously, , so the problem conditions imply since each of and divide the right-hand side. We define
Claim (Size estimate) — We must have .
Proof. Let , so that . We have that which shows .
Claim (Orders argument) — In fact, .
Proof. First of all, note that cannot be even: if it was, then have opposite parity, but then , contradiction. Thus is odd. However, every odd prime divisor of is congruent to and is thus at least , so or . It follows that .
At this point, we have reduced to solving and we need to prove the claimed solutions are the only ones. Write , and assume WLOG that : then we have , or The discriminant must be a perfect square.
The cases and lead to pairs and . If , then we can sandwich so the discriminant is not a square.
The solution is complete.
Obviously, , so the problem conditions imply since each of and divide the right-hand side. We define
Claim (Size estimate) — We must have .
Proof. Let , so that . We have that which shows .
Claim (Orders argument) — In fact, .
Proof. First of all, note that cannot be even: if it was, then have opposite parity, but then , contradiction. Thus is odd. However, every odd prime divisor of is congruent to and is thus at least , so or . It follows that .
At this point, we have reduced to solving and we need to prove the claimed solutions are the only ones. Write , and assume WLOG that : then we have , or The discriminant must be a perfect square.
The cases and lead to pairs and . If , then we can sandwich so the discriminant is not a square.
The solution is complete.
Final answer
[(1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1)]
Techniques
Greatest common divisors (gcd)Multiplicative orderTechniques: modulo, size analysis, order analysis, inequalities