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Primes in fraction (Posted on 2024-04-05) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Find all prime numbers p,q,r such that p/q-4/(r+1)=1

No Solution Yet Submitted by Danish Ahmed Khan    
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Solution Solution Comment 3 of 3 |
First, I will test small values of r. 
Let r=2.  Then p/q-4/3=1, which makes p/q = 7/3.  Then (p,q,r)=(7,3,2) is a solution.
Next let r=3.  Then p/q-4/4=1.  Then p/q=2.  But this needs q=1 for p to be prime however 1 is not a prime.  So no solution in this case.

Now assume r is a prime of the form 4k+3 (k>=1).  Then 4/(r+1) reduces to 1/(k+1).  Then p/q = (k+2)/(k+1).  
This can only happen when p=3 and q=2.  Then k=1 and r=7.  Then (p,q,r)=(3,2,7) is a solution.

Finally assume r is a prime of the form 4j+1 (j>=1).  Then 4/(r+1) reduces to 2/(2j+1).  Then p/q = (2j+3)/(2j+1).
Then p and q are a pair of twin primes.  The special twin pair of 5 and 3 occurs when j=1 and r=5.  Then (p,q,r)=(5,3,5) is a solution.
For all other pairs of twin primes they are of the form (6h+1,6h-1) for h>=1.  Then we need 2j+1=6h-1, or j=3h-1.  Then r=4*(3h-1)+1=12h-3=3*(4h-1).  But this is composite for all h>=1, so no more solutions in this case.

In summary, the set of solutions is (p,q,r) = (7,3,2), (3,2,7), or (5,3,5).

  Posted by Brian Smith on 2024-04-05 11:21:11
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