2023 AMC 10B Problem 14

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 14 of the 2023 AMC 10B, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2023 AMC 10B solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:Diophantine Equationbounding to limit casescasework

Difficulty rating: 1660

14.

How many ordered pairs of integers (m,n)(m, n) satisfy the equation m2+mn+n2=m2n2?m^2 + mn + n^2 = m^2 n^2?

77

11

33

66

55

Solution:

If m=0,m = 0, the equation forces n2=0,n^2 = 0, giving (0,0).(0, 0). Otherwise both are nonzero; assume mn.|m| \le |n|. Then m2n2=m2+mn+n23n2,m^2 n^2 = m^2 + mn + n^2 \le 3n^2, so m23m^2 \le 3 and m=±1.m = \pm 1. Take m=1:m = 1: 1+n+n2=n21 + n + n^2 = n^2 gives n=1.n = -1. Take m=1:m = -1: n=1.n = 1. That leaves (0,0),(1,1),(1,1),(0,0), (1,-1), (-1,1), three in all. Therefore, the answer is C.

Problem 14 in Other Years