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ASSIGNMENT

LEVEL - I

1. Let ‘a’ be a rational number. Show that if 11 + 11 11a 2 + 1 is an odd integer, then it must be a perfect
square.
2. Prove that 2p + 3p is not a perfect power (i.e. a perfect square, cube etc.) if p is a prime number
3. Let f(m, n) = 36m – 5n, where m, n are natural numbers. Find the smallest value of |f(m,n)|. Justify
your answer.
4. (CHINA/1992) If x and y are positive integers, prove that the values of x 2 + y + 1 and y2 + 4x + 3
cannot both be perfect squares at the same time.
5. (SSSMO(J)/1997) Suppose x; y and z are positive integers such that x > y > z > 663 and x; y and z
satisfy the following:
x + y + z = 1998
2x + 3y + 4z = 5992:
Find the values of x; y and z.
6. Prove that for relatively prime two positive integers a and b, the equation
ax + by = c must have non-negative integer solution if c > ab – a – b.
7. 1/a+ 1 /b + 1/c = 1
8. x3 + 3 = 4y (y + 1)
9. x2 – 2y2 = 1(Pell’s equation )
1 1 1
10. (USSR) Solve, in integers, + = (find the formula for general solution)
x y z

LEVEL - II
11. Find the last three digits of the 100th powers of the first 100 natural numbers.
p 2 + 11 15
12. p, q are two integers, and the two roots of the equation in x x −
2
x + ( p + q ) + 16 = 0 are p
9 4
and q also. Find the values of p and q.
13. A positive integer is called a “good number” if it is equal to four times of the sum of its digits. Find
the sum of all good numbers.
14. There are two piles of pebbles, pile (A) and pile (B). When 100 pebbles are moved from (A) to (B),
then the number of pebbles in (B) is double of that in (A). However, if some are moved from (B) to
(A), then the number of pebbles in (A) is five times more than that in (B). What is the minimum
possible number of pebbles in (A), and find the number of pebbles in (B) in that case.
Show that if x and y are positive integers such that x + y − x is divisible by 2xy, then x is a perfect
2 2
15.
square.
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Video Solutions Links

1 https://youtu.be/NxZs-AqBJWc
2 https://youtu.be/uGnhbDrlLAU
3 https://youtu.be/zojab5b_8BU
4 https://youtu.be/rJLovG_cx70
5 https://youtu.be/Mz8lOjydL-8
6 https://youtu.be/djNzRW9xWLY
7 https://youtu.be/e01tt1SvFv8
8 https://youtu.be/zkes2RZmtnI
9 https://youtu.be/6XED18mU9RM
10 https://youtu.be/7vV9oHQ3vic
11 https://youtu.be/9YTFlQJXt0Q
12 https://youtu.be/FOuivtvzy8A
13 https://youtu.be/JZ2lhB3blvc
14 https://youtu.be/PVd4xejt8v4
15 https://youtu.be/j4xEh3aJ3ms

Solutions
LEVEL - I
1. Let ‘a’ be a rational number. Show that if 11 + 11 11a 2 + 1 is an odd integer, then it must be a perfect
square.
Sol. As 11 + 11 11a 2 + 1 is an odd integer, 11a2 + 1 must be the square of a rational number b of the form b
= c /11 where c is an integer.
Now 11a2 + 1 = c2/112, hence ‘a’ can have 11 in the denominator. Let a = d/11. Then 11d2 +112 = c2.
Hence 11 |c, i.e. b is an integer and 11a2 +1 = b2. Now
d2
11 2
+ 1 = b 2 i.e. d 2 = 11( b 2 − 1) , so that 11 |d. Hence ‘a’ is an integer.
11
If 11 + 11 11a 2 + 1 is an odd integer, then 11a2 + 1 must be the square of an even integer. Let
11a2 + 1 = 4m2, so that 11a2 = (2m –1) 2m+1)
Now (2m –1, 2m+1) = 1 hence, either 2m – 1 = 11e2 and 2m + 1 = f2 or 2m –1 = e2 and 2m
+ 1 = 11f2.
In the first case, f2 – 11e2 = 2 , so that f2 2 (mod 11) .
This is impossible, as the only squares (mod 11) are 1,3,4,5,9.
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Hence 2m – 1 = e2 and 2m + 1 = 11f2 Hence

11 + 11 11a 2 + 1 = 11 + 11( 2m ) = 11 + 11(11f 2 −1) = (11f )
2

Which is a perfect square

2. Prove that 2p + 3p is not a perfect power (i.e. a perfect square, cube etc.) if p is a prime number
Sol If p = 2 then 22 + 32 = 13 is not a perfect power
p −1
Suppose that p is odd. Then 2 +3 = ( 2 + 3)  ( −1) 2
p p p −1− k k k
3
k =0
p −1 p −1

 ( −1) 2p −1− k 3k   ( −1) 2p −1−k (−2) k  p2p −1 (mod 5)

k k

k =0 k =0
p −1
For p ≠ 5, p2 (mod 5) ≢ 0(mod5)
p −1

 ( −1) 2p −1− k 3k not multiple of 5. Therefore 2p + 3p is not a perfect power.

k
⇒
k =0

For p = 5, 25 + 35 = 275 is not a perfect power.

3. Let f(m, n) = 36m – 5n, where m, n are natural numbers. Find the smallest value of |f(m,n)|. Justify
your answer.
Sol. We note that f(1,2) = 11. Further f(m, n) is odd, f(m, n) is not a multiple of
3 and f(m, n)  1 (mod 5). Thus only possible value less than 11 that |f(m,n)| can take is 1. We now
show that |f(m,n)| ≠ 1. Now
|f(m,n)| = 1  36m – 5n = ± 1  36m ± 1 = 5n
But modulo 5, 36m + 1 = 5n gives 2  0 (mod 5), a contradiction and going modulo 4, 36m–1
= 5n gives – 1  1 (mod 4), a contradiction. Thus, the smallest value of |f(m,n)| = 11

4. (CHINA/1992) If x and y are positive integers, prove that the values of x 2 + y + 1 and y2 + 4x + 3
cannot both be perfect squares at the same time.
Sol. (i) When x  y,
x 2  x 2 + y + 1  x 2 + x + 1  ( x + 1)
2

So x2 + y + 1 is not a perfect square

(ii) When x < y, then y2 < y2 + 4x + 3 <y2 + 4y + 4 = (y + 2)2, so
y2 + 4x + 3 is not a perfect square if y2 + 4x + 3 ≠ (y + 1)2 .When
y2 + 4x + 3 = (y + 1)2 = y2 + 2y + 1
then y= 2x + 1, so that x2 + y + 1 = x2+ 2x + 2. However,
(x + 1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1 < x2 + 2x + 2 < x2 + 4x + 4 = (x + 2)2
Indicates that x2 + y + 1 = x2 + 2x + 2 is not a perfect square. Thus the conclusion is prove

5. (SSSMO(J)/1997) Suppose x; y and z are positive integers such that x > y > z > 663 and x; y and z
satisfy the following:
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x + y + z = 1998
2x + 3y + 4z = 5992:
Find the values of x; y and z.
Sol. x > y > z ≥ 664 implies that z ≥ 664, y ≥ 665, x ≥ 666. Since 2x + 3y + 4z = 5992, y is
even i.e. y ≥ 666. Since 669 + 668 + 664 = 2001 > 1998, so y < 668, i.e. y = 666 hence
2x + 4z = 5992 –3 × 666 = 3994,
i.e. x + 2z = 1997. Therefore x is odd hence from the first equation z is also odd 664 < z <
666 implies z = 665, then x = 667. Thus the answer is x = 667, y = 666, z = 665.

6. Prove that for relatively prime two positive integers a and b, the equation
ax + by = c must have non-negative integer solution if c > ab – a – b.
Sol. The general solution of the given equation is
x = x0 + bt, y = y0 – at, t
Where (x0,y0) is a special solution. We claim that there must be a solution (x1,y1)
with 0 ≤ x1 ≤ b –1
The conclusion is true if x0  [0,b–1] Otherwise x 0  − 1 or x 0  b Since x plus b or minus b as t
plus 1 or minus 1, so corresponding to some value of t, the value of x must enter the interval [0,b–1].
When 0  x1  b − 1 then
by1 = c − ax1  ab − a − b − ax1  ab − a − b − a ( b − 1) = −b
So that y1  −1, i.e.y1  0 .
Thus (x1,y1) is a non negative integer solution. The conclusion is proven

7. 1/a+ 1 /b + 1/c = 1
Sol If all numbers are positive at least one of them is not greater than 2 or they all are equal to 3. If one
of the numbers negative say, a is negative, then 1/b +1/c >1 and this means that either b or c is 1
There are three families of solution (1, a, –a), (b, 1, -b), (c, –c, 1), where a, b and c arbitrary integers.
And there are three more solutions (1, 2, 3), (2, 4, 4), (3, 3, 3).

8. x3 + 3 = 4y (y + 1)
Sol. Rewrite the equation as x3 = (2y–1) (2y+3).
(2y–1, 2y+3) = (2y–1, 2y+3 – 2y +1) = (2y–1, 4) =1
Factors on the right hand side are relatively prime.
⇒ 2y–1 = a3 and 2y+3 = b3
b3 - a3 = 4
b3 - a3 ≡ 4 (mod7)
Not possible as b3 - a3 ≡ 0, 1, 2, 5, 6(mod7)
There are no integer solutions.

9. x2 – 2y2 = 1(Pell’s equation )

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Sol. First we will look for non negative solutions only.

One of these is easy to find : it is the pair (1,0) and we can generate all other solutions starting from
this one. More precisely, if the pair (a, b) is a solution to our equation then the pair (3a + 4b, 2a +
3b) is the next solution

1 1 1
10. (USSR) Solve, in integers, + = (find the formula for general solution)
x y z
Sol. It is easy to convert the given equation to the form
(x–z) (y–z) = z2
Let ‘t’ represent the greatest common divisor of the integers x, y and z ; that is x = x1 t, y = y1t, z =
z1t,
where x1, y1 and z1 are a relatively prime set. Further, let m = (x1, z1) and n = (y1, z1). That is we
write x1 = mx2.z1 = mz2 : y1 = ny2,z1 = nz2 where x2 and z2, y2 and z2 are relatively prime. The
integers m and n are relatively prime since x1, y1 and z1 y have no common divisor. Since z1 is
divisible both by m and by m, we may write, z1 = mnp
If we now substitute x = mx2t, y = ny2t, z = mnpt into the basic equation and divide the equality by
mnt2 , it follows that
(x2 – np)(y2 – mp) = mnp2
Notice that x2 is relatively prime to p, since m is the greatest common divisor of the numbers x1 =
mx2 and z1 = mnp; similarly, y2 and p are relatively prime . Upon expanding the left hand side of
equation, we see that x2y2 = x2mp + y2np is divisible by p. If follows that p = 1, and the equation
takes on the form
(x2 –n) (y2 – m) = mn
Now x2 is relatively prime to n for the three integers x1 = mx2, y1 = ny2, and z1 = mn are relatively
prime. Consequently, x2 – n is relatively prime to n, hence y2 – m is divisible by n. Similarly, x2 – n
is divisible by m. Thus, x2 – n = ±m, y2 – m = ± n ; x2 = ±y2 = ±m + n. Therefore, x = m(m+n)t, y =
±n(m+n)t, z = mnt, where m, n, t are arbitrary integers, that is the formula for general solution.

LEVEL - II
11. Find the last three digits of the 100th powers of the first 100 natural numbers.
Sol. Let m be a natural number and r be the last digit of m. Then m = r + 10 k for some integer k. Hence
100  99 98
m100 = ( r + 10k ) = r100 + 100r 99 (10k ) + r (10k 2 ) + ...
100

2
 r100 ( mod1000 )
(a) If r = 0, then r100 = 0.
(b) If r = 1,3,7,9, then r2 1 (mod 8), so r100 1 (mod 8). Also,  (125) = 100
By Euler’s theorem, as (r, 5) = 1, r100 1 (mod 125).
Hence, r100 1 (mod 1000).
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(c) If r = 5 then r2 1(mod 8). Hence r100 1 (mod 8) and r100 0
(mod 125).
By Chinese remainder theorem, r100 376 (mod 1000).
Thus, in the above 4 cases, the last 3 digit of m100 are 000,001,625 and 376 respectively.

p 2 + 11 15
12. p, q are two integers, and the two roots of the equation in x x −
2
x + ( p + q ) + 16 = 0 are p
9 4
and q also. Find the values of p and q.
Sol Viete Theorem yields
p 2 + 11
p+q = ......(i)
9
15
pq = ( p + q ) + 16......(ii)
4
Then p + q > 0 and pq> 0 from given equations, so p, q are both positive integers.
From (ii)
16pq – 60(p + q) = 162
 (4p – 15)(4q – 15) = 256 + 225 = 481
Since 481 = 1 × 481 = 13 × 37 = (–1) × (–481) = (–13) × (–37), and 4p – 15 or 4q – 15
cannot be –37 or –481, so the pair (4p – 15; 4q – 15) has the following four possible cases:
(1; 481); (481; 1); (13; 37); (37; 37).
Corresponding to them, the pairs of (p; q) are (4; 124); (124; 4); (7; 13); (13; 7):
By checking, only the pair (13; 7) satisfies the original system: the equation becomes
x 2 − 20x + 91 = 0 and its roots are (13; 7). Thus, the solution for (p; q) is (13; 7).

13. A positive integer is called a “good number” if it is equal to four times of the sum of its digits. Find
the sum of all good numbers.
Sol. If a one digit number ‘a’ is good number, then a = 4a, i.e. a = 0, so no one digit good number exists.
Let ab = 10a + b be a two digit good number, then 10a + b = 4(a + b) implies 2a = b, so there are four
good numbers 12, 24, 36, 48, and their sum is 120.
Three digit good number abc satisfies the equation 100a + 10b + c = 4(a + b + c), i.e. 96a + 6b – 3c =
0. Since 96a + 6b – 3c≥ 96 + 0 – 27 > 0 always so no solution for (a; b; c), i.e. no three digit good
number exists.
Since a number with n ( n  4 ) digits must be not less than 10n–1 and the 4 times of the sum of its
digits is not greater than 36n. For n ≥ 4,
10n −1 − 36n  36 (10n −3 − n )  0,

So no n digit good number exists if n  4

Thus, the sum of all good numbers is 120.
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14. There are two piles of pebbles, pile (A) and pile (B). When 100 pebbles are moved from (A) to (B),
then the number of pebbles in (B) is double of that in (A). However, if some are moved from (B) to
(A), then the number of pebbles in (A) is five times more than that in (B). What is the minimum
possible number of pebbles in (A), and find the number of pebbles in (B) in that case.
Sol. Let x and y be the numbers of pebbles in the piles (A) and (B) respectively. When z
pebbles are moved from (B) to (A), then the given conditions in question gives
2(x –100) = y + 100 gives y = 2x – 300
x + z = 6 (y – z)
So from it follows that 11x – 7z = 1800
⇒4x + 7(x – z) = 1800
Both sides taking modulo 4 yields 4 | (x – z), so x – z = 4t, t  .
Implies 4x + 28t = 1800 or x + 7t = 450.
Thus, the general solution for (x; y; z) is
x = 450 – 7t, y = 2 (450 –7t) – 300 = 600 –14t, z = (450 –7t) –4t = 450 –11t.
450
From x, y, z ≥ 0, it is obtained that t   41 , so t  40 . When t takes its maximum possible
11
value then x is its minimum, so x min = 450 − 280 = 170
In that case, y = 600 – 560 = 40, z = 450 – 440 = 10, so there are 40 pebbles in (B)

Show that if x and y are positive integers such that x + y − x is divisible by 2xy, then x is a perfect
2 2
15.
square.
Sol. From assumption, there exists integer k such that x2 + y2 – x = 2kxy.
Consider the quadratic equation in y
y2 – 2kxy + (x2 –x) = 0
Since it has an integer solution , so, by Viete Theorem, the other root is also an integer and the
Discriminant of the equation is perfect square. Hence
 = 4  k 2 x 2 − ( x 2 − x ) = 4x ( k 2 − 1) x + 1 is a perfect. Since x and (k – 1) x + 1 are relatively
z
   
prime, x and (k – 1) x + 1 both are perfect square numbers, so x is perfect square.
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