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INMO Home Test 2 Solution
INMO Home Test 2 Solution
INMO Home Test 2 Solution
INMO-2019 WORKSHOP
HOME TEST-2
SOLUTION
1. Since b is the product of roots of the quadratics, of the form 3k or 3k + 1, where k is any integer.
it must be expressible as a product of integers in Thus there are infinitely many pairs (a, b), given
two different ways. So let us try for b numbers of by (i), where n + 1 is not divisible by 3, satisfying
the form uvw. Suppose that the given conditions.
If a and b are chosen like this, then the roots of 2. If p is prime and p 2 then
the first equation are p 1 p 1
p 1 p 1
provided p 3. If n + 1 is not divisible by 3 this 2p 1 2 2 1
requirement also is satisfied. So a and b cannot Since 2
2 1 ,
p p
have a common prime divisor if n is any integer
(1)
p 1
a 1 (mod 5) b 1 (mod 5); a 2 (mod 5)
we see that 2 2 2
1 a for some integer a > 2. b 3 (mod 5);
a 3 (mod 5) b 2 (mod 5); a 4 (mod 5)
Thus
b 4 (mod 5);
p 1 pa3 + qa2 + ra + s 0 (mod 5)
2 2 a 1 a 1 a 1 ;
2
(pa3 + qa2 + ra + s)b3 0 (mod 5)
If p(ab)3 + q(ab)2b + r(ab)b2 + sb3 0 (mod 5)
a–1= 2r, a+1= 2s, 0 < r < s, p + qb + rb2 + sb3 0 (mod 5)
2s – 2r = 2, 2s – 1 – 2r – 1 = 1. Hence, for each a, setting b to be its multiplicative
Since 0 r – 1 < s – 1 this is possible only if r – inverse (mod 5) is our desired b.
1 = 0, s – 1 = 1. 4. We seek solutions (x, y, z) which are in arithmetic
Hence progression. Let us put y – x = z – y = d > 0 so
that the equation reduces to the form
p 1
p 1 3y2 + 2d2 = 2d3.
a 1 2, a 3, 2 2 a 2 1 8, 3, p 7
2 Thus we get 3y2 = 2(d – 1)d2. We conclude that
2(d – 1) is 3 times a square. This is satisfied if
p 1
d – 1 = 6n2 for some n. Thus d = 6n2 + 1 and 3y2
Next suppose that 2 2 1 is divisible by p.
= d2. 2(6n2) giving us y2 = 4d2n2. Thus we can
Since take y = 2dn = 2n(6n2 + 1). From this we obtain
x = y – d = (2n – 1)(6n2 + 1), z = y + d = (2n +
1)(6n2 + 1). It is easily verified that
p 1 p 1
2p 1 2 2 1
, 2 2 1 (x, y, z) = ((2n – 1)(6n2 + 1), 2n(6n2 + 1), (2n +
p p 1)(6n2 + 1)),
is indeed a solution for a fixed n and this gives an
p 1
we see, exactly as before, that 2 2 1 b 2 for infinite set of solutions as n varies over natural
numbers.
some integer b > 0.
5. We show that the answer is NO. Suppose, if
p 1 possible, let a, b, c be three distinct positive real
If 2 then this implies that b2 –1 (mod 4) numbers such that a, b, c, b + c – a, c + a – b,
2
a + b – c and a + b + c form a 7-term arithmetic
p 1 progression in some order. We may assume that
which is not possible. Hence 1; p 3, p
2 a < b < c. Then there are only two cases we need
being odd. to check: (I) a + b – c < a < c + a – b < b < c <
b + c – a < a + b + c and (II) a + b – c < a < b <
2p 1 1 9 c + a – b < c < b + c – a < a + b + c.
Finally, if p = 7 then , and if p = 3
p Case I. Suppose the chain of inequalities a + b –
c<a<c+a–b<b<c<b+c–a<a+b+c
then
2p 1 1 1 . Thus the desired primes are holds good. Let d be the common difference.
p Thus we see that
(2)
c = a + b + c – 2d, b = a + b + c – 4d, a = a + b p(pn – 1 + pn – 2 + ... + 1) = q(q + 1).
+ c – 5d.
If q pn/2 – 1, then q < pn/2 and hence we see
that q2 < pn. Thus we obtain
11
We thus obtain a + b + c = d . This gives
2 q2 + q < pn + pn/2 < pn + pn – 1 + ... + p,
since n > 2. It follows that q pn/2. Since n > 2
1 3 7 and is an even number, n/2 is a natural number
a d , b d, c d .
2 2 2 larger than 1. This implies that q pn/2 by the
given condition that q is a prime. We conclude
1 that q pn/2 + 1. We may also write the above
Note that a + b – c = a + b + c – 6d = – d .
2 relation in the form
However we also get a + b – c p(pn/2 – 1)(pn/2 + 1) = (p – 1)q(q + 1).
This shows that q divides (pn/2 – 1)(pn/2 + 1). But
1 3 3
= d d . It fllows that 3e q pn/2 + 1 and q is a prime. Hence the only
2 2 2 2
possibility is q = pn/2 + 1. This gives
= e giving d = 0. But this is impossible.
p(pn/2 – 1) = (p – 1)(q + 1) = (p – 1)(pn/2 + 2).
Thus there are no three distinct positive real
Simiplification leads to 3p = pn/2 + 2. This shows
numbers a, b, c such that a, b, c, b + c – a, c +
that p divides 2. Thus p = 2 and hence q = 5,
a – b, a + b – c and a + b + c form a 7-term
n = 4. It is easy to verify that these indeed satisfy
arithmetic progression in some order.
the given equation.
6. Obviously p q. We write this in the form
(3)