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Positively Positive (Posted on 2016-10-18) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Find all pairs (A, B) of positive integers such that each of the equations
x2 - A*x + B = 0 and x2 - B*x + A=0 has positive integer roots.

Prove that there are no others.

See The Solution Submitted by K Sengupta    
Rating: 4.0000 (2 votes)

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Solution Solution | Comment 9 of 10 |
I'll start with the special case when A=B.  Then we have the quadratic x^2-Ax+A. Then the sum of the roots is equal to the product of the roots.  
Let the roots by y and z, then yz = y+z. Rearrange this into (y-1)*(z-1)=1.  Solving over positive integers there is only one way to factor 1, then y-1=1 and z-1=1.
Then y=z=2 and then A=B=4.  So the first solution to the problem is (A,B)=(4,4).

Continuing on, without loss of generality, assume A>B.  Then x^2-Ax+B has two roots with a sum greater than their product.
Again let the roots by y and z. Then y+z > yz.  Rearrange this into 1 > (y-1)*(z-1).  
Over positive integers the only way for this to happen is when the left side is zero, which occurs when one of y or z equals 1.  Then A=y+1 and B=y*1, and substituting to eliminate y leaves us with A=B+1.

At this point we have x^2-(B+1)x+B and x^2-Bx+(B+1).  The first equation has roots of 1 and B.  For the second equation to have integer solutions it is necessary for its discriminant to be a perfect square.  This implies B^2-4(B+1) = B^2-4B-4 = (B-2)^2 - 8 = D^2 for some positive integers B and D.
This is a pair of perfect squares whose difference is only 8.  There is only one such pair: 3^2 - 8 = 1^2
Therefore the only valid answer for B comes from B-2=3.  Then B=5 and A=6.
So the only other solutions to the problem are (A,B)=(6,5) and its mirror (A,B)=(5,6).

  Posted by Brian Smith on 2023-12-23 22:12:29
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