Skip to main content
OlympiadHQ

Browse · MathNet

Print

USA IMO TST

United States number theory

Problem

Determine all integers for which there exist positive integers such that and divides .
Solution
The answer is composite.

Composite construction Write , where are positive integers. Let , , , . Then so this works.

Prime proof Choose suitable . Then Hence divides a product of positive integers less than , so is composite.

Remark. Here is another proof that is composite. Suppose that is prime. Then the polynomial is even, so the roots come in two opposite pairs in . Thus the sum of each pair is at least , so the sum of all four is at least , contradiction.
Final answer
All composite integers at least 4

Techniques

Factorization techniquesPrime numbersPolynomials mod pField Theory