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Searching for c among the cubes (Posted on 2014-11-23) Difficulty: 2 of 5

Select whole numbers {a,b,c,n}, with a>b so that:

(1) a = (3n^2+2n)*c; and
(2) b = (2n+1)*c; and
(3) c2-(a-b) = (n+1)3+(2n+1)3.

Find (a3-b3)/(a-b) in terms of c.

  Submitted by broll    
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Solution: (Hide)
(a^3-b^3)/(a-b)=c^4.

The trick is to make c itself a difference of consecutive cubes:
c = (n+1)^3-n^3 = (3n^2+3n+1).

Then:
a = (3n^2+2n)*(3n^2+3n+1)
b = (2n+1)*(3n^2+3n+1)
(a-b) = (3n^2-1)(3n^2+3n+1).

Substituting:
c^2 -(a-b) = (3n^2+3n+1)^2-(3n^2-1) (3n^2+3n+1)
= (n+1)^3+(2n+1)^3, as required.

Clearly,(a^3-b^3)/(a-b) = a^2+ab+b^2.

But if so ((3n^2+2n)*(3n^2+3n+1))^2 +(3n^2+2n)*(3n^2+3n+1) (2n+1)*(3n^2+3n+1) + ((2n+1)*(3n^2+3n+1))^2

= (9n^4+18n^3+15n^2+6n+1)(3n^2+3n+1)^2
= (3n^2+3n+1)^4
= c^4

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