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74th Romanian Mathematical Olympiad

Romania number theory

Problem

Let be a positive integer. We say that a table is special if: each cell of the table contains a 2-digit odd positive integer; the numbers of the table are pairwise distinct; * the products of the numbers of each line and the products of the numbers of each column are perfect squares. Prove that the largest value of for which there exists a special table is equal to 4.
Solution
Since , the table cannot contain numbers divisible by squares of prime numbers , with . Suppose that there exists a number of the table (situated on line and column ) divisible by a prime . Then there exists one more number on line (and column ) divisible by . Also, there exists one more number on column (and line ) divisible by . Therefore, in the cell must be a number divisible by . In consequence, in the table must appear a number – impossible.
11
13
It follows that the table cannot contain 2-digit numbers that are odd multiples of 17 – 3 numbers, of 19 – 3 numbers, of 23 – 2 numbers, of 29 – 2 numbers, of 31 – 2 numbers and of 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97 – one number each; in total, 26 numbers. On the other hand, there are 45 odd 2-digit numbers, so the table can contain at most numbers. Hence . The table from above is an example for .
Final answer
4

Techniques

Prime numbersFactorization techniques