STEP Pythagorean Triples Properties

Prove that if
x, y, z
are non-zero integers such that x
2
+
2
=
2
then
xyz
is divisible by 60.

Solution
When you factorise 60 you get
60 = 2
2
3 5
. Since prime factorisation is unique, e thus need to prove that those
factors appear in the factors that ma!e up
xyz
. So e need to sho that"
#a$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by &.
#b$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by '.
#c$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by ( or at least to of them are even.
#a$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by &.
Proof by )ontradiction
Suppose none of them is divisible by &. So they can be e*pressed as either 3m +1 or 3m + 2 #+his indicates the
remainder on division by &$.
,o e can see in turn that"
(3m +1)
2
= 9
2
+ 6 +1 = 3(3
2
+ 2 ) +1 has remainder - on division by & and
(3m + 2)
2
= 9
2
+12 + 4 = 3(3
2
+ 4 +1) +1 has remainder - on division by &.
+herefore, regardless of hether
x, y, z
are in the form 3m +1 or 3m + 2 , x
2
, y
2
, z
2
all have remainder - on
division by &.
x
2
+
2
ill then have remainder . on division by &. /ut if z
2
=
2
+
2
then
z
2
cannot have remainder - on
division by & so e have reached a contradiction.
0ence at least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by &.
#b$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by '.
Suppose none of them is divisible by '. So they can be e*pressed as 5m +1, 5m + 2 , 5m + 3 or 5m + 4 .
)hec!ing their squares in turn"
(5m +1)
2
= 25
2
+10 +1 = 5(5
2
+ 2 ) +1 1 remainder - on division by '.
(5m + 2)
2
= 25
2
+ 20 + 4 = 5(5
2
+ 4 ) + 4 1 remainder ( on division by '.
(5m + 3)
2
= 25
2
+ 30 + 9 = 5(5
2
+ 6 +1) + 4 1 remainder ( on division by '.
(5m + 4)
2
= 25
2
+ 40 +16 = 5(5
2
+ 8 + 3) +1 1 remainder - on division by '.
So x
2
, y
2
, z
2
have either remainder - or ( on division by '.
2f x
2
and y
2
have both remainder - on division by ' then z
2
=
2
+
2
ill have remainder . hich is not possible.
2f x
2
and y
2
have remainders - and ( #interchangeable$ then z
2
=
2
+
2
ill have remainder 0 hich is not
possible.
2f x
2
and y
2
have both remainder ( then z
2
=
2
+
2
ill have remainder & hich is not possible.
We have therefore reached a contradiction and hence at least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by '.
#c$ %t least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by ( or at least to of them are even.
%ny integer can be e*pressed as either 2m #even$ or 2m +1#odd$.
(2m)
2
= 4
2
is even.
(2m +1)
2
= 4
2
+ 4 +1 is odd.
So e have only three possibilities"
#-$
even
2
+
2
=
2
, i.e.
x, y, z
are all divisible by . and therefore
xyz
is divisible by (.
#.$
odd
2
+
2
=
2
#interchangeable$
#&$
odd
2
+
2
=
2
#.$
odd
2
+
2
=
2
3et x = 2+1,
y = 2
, z = 2+1
x
2
+
2
=
2
(2+1)
2
+ 4
2
= (2+1)
2
4r
2
+ 4r +1+ 4q
2
= 4s
2
+ 4s +1
4(r
2
+ r + q
2
) = 4(s
2
+ s)
r
2
+ r + q
2
= s
2
+ s
r(r +1) + q
2
= s(s +1)
/oth
r(r +1)
and
s(s +1)
are the product of to consecutive integers and therefore are alays even. +his means
that q
2
has to be even and hence
y = 2
is divisible by (.
#&$
odd
2
+
2
=
2
3et x = 2+1,
y = 2+1
,
z = 2
x
2
+
2
=
2
(2+1)
2
+ (2+1)
2
= 4
2
4r
2
+ 4r +1+ 4s
2
+ 4s +1 = 4q
2
2(2r
2
+ 2r + 2s
2
+ 2s +1) = 4q
2
2r
2
+ 2r + 2s
2
+ 2s +1 = 2q
2
2(r
2
+ r + s
2
+ s) +1 = 2q
2
/ut this mean that the number on the 30S of the equality is odd and the number on the 40S of the equality is even.
+herefore this case, i.e.
odd
2
+
2
=
2
, can never occur.
We have then shon that at least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by &, at least one of
x, y, z
is divisible by ' and that
either
x, y, z
are all divisible by . or, either x or
y
is divisible by (. 0ence
xyz
is divisible by 60.