42 Chapter 3

279 Example Find infinitely many integers n such that 2n + 27 is divisible by 7.

Solution: Observe that 21 ≡ 2, 22 ≡ 4, 23 ≡ 1, 24 ≡ 2, 25 ≡ 4, 26 ≡ 1 mod 7 and so 23k ≡ 1 mod 3 for all positive integers k.
Hence 23k + 27 ≡ 1 + 27 ≡ 0 mod 7 for all positive integers k. This produces the infinitely many values sought.

280 Example Prove that 2k − 5, k = 0, 1, 2, . . . never leaves remainder 1 when divided by 7.

Solution: 21 ≡ 2, 22 ≡ 4, 23 ≡ 1 mod 7, and this cycle of three repeats. Thus 2k − 5 can leave only remainders 3, 4, or 6 upon
division by 7.

281 Example (AIME 1994) The increasing sequence

3, 15, 24, 48, . . .,

consists of those positive multiples of 3 that are one less than a perfect square. What is the remainder when the 1994-th term
of the sequence is divided by 1000?

Solution: We want 3|n2 − 1 = (n − 1)(n + 1). Since 3 is prime, this requires n = 3k + 1 or n = 3k − 1, k = 1, 2, 3, . . .. The
sequence 3k + 1, k = 1, 2, . . . produces the terms n2 − 1 = (3k + 1)2 − 1 which are the terms at even places of the sequence of
3, 15, 24, 48, . . .. The sequence 3k − 1, k = 1, 2, . . . produces the terms n2 − 1 = (3k − 1)2 − 1 which are the terms at odd places
of the sequence 3, 15, 24, 48, . . .. We must find the 997th term of the sequence 3k + 1, k = 1, 2, . . .. Finally, the term sought is
(3(997) + 1)2 − 1 ≡ (3(−3) + 1)2 − 1 ≡ 82 − 1 ≡ 63 mod 1000. The remainder sought is 63.

Practice

282 Problem Prove that 0, 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 12 are the only perfect squares modulo 13. 290 Problem Find the last digit of 3100 .

291 Problem (AHSME 1992) What is the size of the largest subset S of {1, 2, . . . ,50}
(Hint: It is enough to consider 02 , 12 , 22 , . . . , 122 . In fact, by such that no pair of distinct elements of S has a sum divisible by 7?
observing that r2 ≡ (13 − r)2 mod n, you only have to go
half way.) 292 Problem Prove that there are no integer solutions to the equation x2 − 7y = 3.

283 Problem Prove that there are no integers with x2 − 5y2 = 2. 293 Problem Prove that if 7|a2 + b2 then 7|a and 7|b.

(Hint: Find all the perfect squares mod 5.) 294 Problem Prove that there are no integers with

800000007 = x2 + y2 + z2 .
284 Problem Which digits must we substitute for a and b in 30a0b03 so that the
resulting integer be divisible by 13?
295 Problem Prove that the sum of the decimal digits of a perfect square cannot be
equal to 1991.
285 Problem Find the number of all n, 1 ≤ n ≤ 25 such that n2 + 15n + 122 is divisible
by 6.
296 Problem Prove that
n n
7|42 + 22 + 1
2 2
(Hint: n + 15n + 122 ≡ n + 3n + 2 = (n + 1)(n + 2) mod 6.) for all natural numbers n.

286 Problem (AIME 1983) Let an = 6n + 8n . Determine the remainder when a83 is 297 Problem Find the last two digits of 3100 .
divided by 49.

298 Problem (USAMO 1986) What is the smallest integer n > 1, for which the
287 Problem (Polish Mathematical Olympiad) What digits should be put instead of x root-mean-square of the first n positive integers is an integer?
and y in 30x0y03 in order to give a number divisible by 13?

Note. The root mean square of n numbers a1 ,a2 ,... ,an is defined to be
288 Problem Prove that if 9|(a3 + b3 + c3 ), then 3|abc, for integers a, b, c.  ‹1/2
a21 + a22 + ··· + a2n
.
n
289 Problem Describe all integers n such that 10|n10 + 1.