2008 AIME II Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 2008 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 2008 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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15.

Find the largest integer nn satisfying the following conditions: (i)\mathrm{(i)} n2n^2 can be expressed as the difference of two consecutive cubes; (ii)\mathrm{(ii)} 2n+792n + 79 is a perfect square.
Answer: 181
Concepts:Diophantine Equationperfect squaredifference of squaresmodular arithmetic
Small hint:
Condition (i)\mathrm{(i)} says n2=3m2+3m+1,n^2 = 3m^2 + 3m + 1, which rearranges to (2n−1)(2n+1)=3(2m+1)2(2n - 1)(2n + 1) = 3(2m + 1)^2
Big hint:
The two factors are coprime, and working modulo 33 shows 2n−12n - 1 must be a perfect square; then 2n+79=d22n + 79 = d^2 yields a difference of squares equal to 8080
Solution:
Condition (i)\mathrm{(i)} says n2=(m+1)3−m3n^2 = (m + 1)^3 - m^3 =3m2+3m+1= 3m^2 + 3m + 1 for some integer m.m. Multiplying by 44 and rearranging, 4n2−1=12m2+12m+3,4n^2 - 1 = 12m^2 + 12m + 3, i.e. (2n−1)(2n+1)=3(2m+1)2.(2n - 1)(2n + 1) = 3(2m + 1)^2. The factors on the left are consecutive odd numbers, hence coprime, so one of them is a perfect square and the other is 33 times a square. If 2n−1=3k2,2n - 1 = 3k^2, then 2n+1≡2(mod3)2n + 1 \equiv 2 \pmod 3 would be a perfect square, which is impossible. Hence 2n−1=k22n - 1 = k^2 with kk odd.
Writing k=2a+1k = 2a + 1 gives n=2a2+2a+1.n = 2a^2 + 2a + 1. Condition (ii)\mathrm{(ii)} says 2n+79=4a2+4a+81=d2,2n + 79 = 4a^2 + 4a + 81 = d^2, so (d−2a−1)⋅(d+2a+1)=d2−(2a+1)2=80. \begin{aligned} &(d - 2a - 1) \\ &\quad {}\cdot (d + 2a + 1) \\ &= d^2 - (2a + 1)^2 \\ &= 80. \end{aligned} The two factors have the same parity, so both are even: the pairs (2,40),(2, 40), (4,20),(4, 20), (8,10)(8, 10) give 2a+1=19,2a + 1 = 19, 8,8, 1,1, of which the odd values yield a=9a = 9 (so n=181n = 181) and a=0a = 0 (so n=1n = 1).
For n=181:n = 181: indeed 1812=32761=1053−1043181^2 = 32761 = 105^3 - 104^3 (here 2n+1=363=3⋅112,2n + 1 = 363 = 3 \cdot 11^2, as required), and 2n+79=441=212.2n + 79 = 441 = 21^2. So the largest such nn is 181.181.
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