1.

1 The Factoring Method 11

integers a and b whose product is y, it follows that (x − 1)2 + 1 = a4

and (x + 1)2 + 1 = pb4 . The first equation yields a2 = 1 and x = 1;
hence the second gives p = 5 and b2 = 1. Therefore, the only prime
for which the equation is solvable is p = 5. In this case the solutions
(x, y) are (1, 1), (−1, 1), (1, −1), and (−1, −1).

Exercises and Problems

1. Solve the following equation in integers x, y :

x2 + 6xy + 8y 2 + 3x + 6y = 2.

2. For each positive integer n, let s(n) denote the number of

ordered pairs (x, y) of positive integers for which

1 1 1
+ = .
x y n

Find all positive integers n for which s(n) = 5.

(Indian Mathematical Olympiad)

3. Let p and q be distinct prime numbers. Find the number of

pairs of positive integers x, y that satisfy the equation

p q
+ = 1.
x y

(KöMaL)

4. Find the positive integer solutions to the equation

x3 − y 3 = xy + 61.

(Russian Mathematical Olympiad)

12 Part I. Diophantine Equations

5. Solve the Diophantine equation

x − y 4 = 4,

where x is a prime.
6. Find all pairs (x, y) of integers such that

x6 + 3x3 + 1 = y 4 .

(Romanian Mathematical Olympiad)

7. Solve the following equation in nonzero integers x, y :

(x2 + y)(x + y 2 ) = (x − y)3 .

(16th USA Mathematical Olympiad)

8. Find all integers a, b, c with 1 < a < b < c such that the number
(a − 1)(b − 1)(c − 1) is a divisor of abc − 1.

(33rd IMO)

9. Find all right triangles with integer side lengths such that their
areas and perimeters are equal.
10. Solve the following system in integers x, y, z, u, v:
⎧
⎨ x + y + z + u + v = xyuv + (x + y)(u + v),
⎩ xy + z + uv = xy(u + v) + uv(x + y).

(Titu Andreescu)

11. Prove that the equation x(x + 1) = p2n y(y + 1) is not solvable
in positive integers, where p is a prime and n is a positive integer.
1.2 Solving Diophantine Equations Using Inequalities 13

12. Find all triples (x, y, p), where x and y are positive integers
and p is a prime, satisfying the equation

x5 + x4 + 1 = py .

(Titu Andreescu)

13. Find all pairs (x, y) of integers such that

x3 + y 3
xy + = 2007.
3

(Titu Andreescu)

1.2 Solving Diophantine Equations Using

Inequalities
This method consists in restricting the intervals in which the vari-
ables lie using appropriate inequalities. Generally, this process leads
to only finitely many possibilities for all variables or for some of
them.
Example 1. Find all pairs (x, y) of integers such that

x3 + y 3 = (x + y)2 .

Solution. Note that all pairs of the form (k, −k), k ∈ Z, are solu-
tions. If x + y = 0, the equation becomes

x2 − xy + y 2 = x + y,

which is equivalent to

(x − y)2 + (x − 1)2 + (y − 1)2 = 2.

1.2 Solving Diophantine Equations Using Inequalities 17

Solution. By the arithmetic–harmonic mean(AM–HM) inequality

or the Cauchy–Schwarz inequality,


1 1
(k1 + · · · + kn ) + ··· + ≥ n2 .
k1 kn

We must thus have 5n − 4 ≥ n2 , so n ≤ 4. Without loss of generality,

we may suppose that k1 ≤ · · · ≤ kn .
If n = 1, we must have k1 = 1, which works. Note that hereinafter
we cannot have k1 = 1.
If n = 2, then (k1 , k2 ) ∈ {(2, 4), (3, 3)}, neither of which works.
If n = 3, then k1 + k2 + k3 = 11, so 2 ≤ k1 ≤ 3. Hence (k1 , k2 , k3 ) ∈
{(2, 2, 7), (2, 3, 6), (2, 4, 5), (3, 3, 5), (3, 4, 4)}, and only (2, 3, 6) works.
If n = 4, we must have equality in the AM–HM inequality, which
happens only when k1 = k2 = k3 = k4 = 4. Hence the solutions are
n = 1 and k1 = 1, n = 3 and (k1 , k2 , k3 ) is a permutation of (2, 3, 6),
and n = 4 and (k1 , k2 , k3 , k4 ) = (4, 4, 4, 4).

Exercises and Problems

1. Solve in positive integers the equation

3(xy + yz + zx) = 4xyz.

2. Find all triples (x, y, z) of positive integers such that

xy + yz + zx − xyz = 2.

3. Determine all triples (x, y, z) of positive integers such that

(x + y)2 + 3x + y + 1 = z 2 .

(Romanian Mathematical Olympiad)

18 Part I. Diophantine Equations

4. Determine all pairs (x, y) of integers that satisfy the equation

(x + 1)4 − (x − 1)4 = y 3 .

(Australian Mathematical Olympiad)

5. Prove that all the equations

x6 + ax4 + bx2 + c = y 3 ,

where a ∈ {3, 4, 5}, b ∈ {4, 5, . . . , 12}, c ∈ {1, 2, . . . , 8}, are not

solvable in positive integers.

(Dorin Andrica)

6. Solve in positive integers the equation

x2 y + y 2 z + z 2 x = 3xyz.

7. Find all integer solutions to the equation

(x2 − y 2 )2 = 1 + 16y.

(Russian Mathematical Olympiad)

8. Find all integers a, b, c, x, y, z such that

a + b + c = xyz,

x + y + z = abc,

and a ≥ b ≥ c ≥ 1, x ≥ y ≥ z ≥ 1.

(Polish Mathematical Olympiad)

1.3 Solving Diophantine Equations Using Inequalities 19

9. Let x, y, z, u, and v be positive integers such that

xyzuv = x + y + z + u + v.

Find the maximum possible value of max{x, y, z, u, v}.

10. Solve in distinct positive integers the equation

x2 + y 2 + z 2 + w2 = 3(x + y + z + w).

(Titu Andreescu)

11. Find all positive integers x, y, z, t such that

⎧
⎨ xn + y = z n ,
⎩ x + y n = tn ,

for some integer n ≥ 2.

12. Find all pairs (x, y) of positive integers such that xy = y x .
13. Solve in positive integers the equation xy + y = y x + x.
14. Let a and b be positive integers such that ab+1 divides a2 +b2 .
a2 +b2
Prove that ab+1 is the square of an integer.

(29th IMO)

15. Find all integers n for which the equation

(x + y + z)2 = nxyz

is solvable in positive integers.

(American Mathematical Monthly, reformulation)