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Number theory Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Estonia

Find all positive integers kk for which there is a right triangle with legs of integral lengths and hypotenuse of length 88…822…2\sqrt{88\ldots822\ldots2}, where the number under the root consists of exactly kk eights and exactly kk twos.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let the lengths of legs be aa and bb. By the Pythagorean theorem,
a2+b2=88…822…2. a^2 + b^2 = 88\ldots822\ldots2.
If k=1k=1 then one can choose a=9a=9 and b=1b=1 as 92+12=829^2 + 1^2 = 82. If k≥2k \ge 2 then 88…822…2≡6(mod8)88\ldots822\ldots2 \equiv 6 \pmod{8} since 822≡6(mod8)822 \equiv 6 \pmod{8} and 222≡6(mod8)222 \equiv 6 \pmod{8}. On the other hand, the residues of a2a^2 and b2b^2 modulo 88 can be 00, 11, or 44. However, the sum of such two numbers can have residue 00, 11, 22, 44, or 55 modulo 88. Consequently, a2+b2=88…822…2a^2 + b^2 = 88\ldots822\ldots2 cannot hold for k≥2k \ge 2.

Solution 2

Let the lengths of legs be aa and bb. By the Pythagorean theorem,
a2+b2=88…822…2. a^2 + b^2 = 88\ldots822\ldots2.
If k=1k=1 then one can choose a=9a=9 and b=1b=1 as 92+12=829^2 + 1^2 = 82. Assume in the rest that k≥2k \ge 2. It is known that a positive integer is expressible as the sum of two squares of integers if and only if its canonical representation contains primes congruent to 33 modulo 44 only with even exponents. Note that 88…822…2=2⋅44…411…188\ldots822\ldots2 = 2 \cdot 44\ldots411\ldots1, where only the odd second factor can be divisible by primes congruent to 33 modulo 44. If all such primes would occur with even exponents in the canonical representation of 44…411…144\ldots411\ldots1, this number itself would be congruent to 11 modulo 44, but actually 44…411…1≡3(mod4)44\ldots411\ldots1 \equiv 3 \pmod{4}. This shows that right triangles with the required property cannot exist in the case k≥2k \ge 2.

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