2003 AIME II Problem 10

Attempt Problem 10 of the 2003 AIME II below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2003 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

10.

Two positive integers differ by 60.60. The sum of their square roots is the square root of an integer that is not a perfect square. What is the maximum possible sum of the two integers?

Answer: 156
Concepts:Diophantine Equationdifference of squaresperfect square
Difficulty rating: 2650
Solution:

Let the integers be xx and x+60,x + 60, and suppose x+x+60=y.\sqrt{x} + \sqrt{x + 60} = \sqrt{y}. Squaring, y=2x+60+2x(x+60),y = 2x + 60 + 2\sqrt{x(x + 60)}, so x(x+60)x(x + 60) must be a perfect square, say z2.z^2. Completing the square, (x+30)2z2=900,(x + 30)^2 - z^2 = 900, i.e. (x+30+z)(x+30z)=900.(x + 30 + z)(x + 30 - z) = 900. The two factors have the same parity and their product is even, so both are even.

The factor pairs (450,2),(450, 2), (150,6),(150, 6), (90,10),(90, 10), (50,18)(50, 18) give x+30=226,x + 30 = 226, 78,78, 50,50, 34,34, so x=196,x = 196, 48,48, 20,20, 4.4. For x=196x = 196 the integers are 196196 and 256,256, both perfect squares, so y=14+16=30\sqrt{y} = 14 + 16 = 30 and y=900y = 900 is a perfect square — not allowed. For x=48x = 48 the integers are 4848 and 108,108, with 48+108=43+63\sqrt{48} + \sqrt{108} = 4\sqrt{3} + 6\sqrt{3} =300,= \sqrt{300}, and 300300 is not a perfect square.

The maximum possible sum is therefore 48+108=156.48 + 108 = 156.

← Problem 9#9
Full Exam

Problem 10 in Other Years