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jmc

algebra senior

Problem

For how many integer values of does the equation have integer solutions for ?
Solution
Suppose the roots of the quadratic are given by and . Note that and setting coefficients equal, it follows that (This also follows directly from Vieta's formulas.) Notice that the can be canceled by either dividing or noting that

Simon's Favorite Factoring Trick can now be applied: It follows that and are divisors of , whose pairs of divisors are given by . Solving, we see that is in the set However, the two pairs of symmetric solutions yield redundant values for , so it follows that the answer is .
Final answer
4