On A Simple Set of Integers

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On a Simple Set of Integers
Author(s): Juan Pla
Source: The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 93, No. 527 (Jul., 2009), pp. 200-212
Published by: The Mathematical Association
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200 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE
On a simple set of integer

JUAN PLA
1. Introduction
During an investigation on some Diophantine systems, we were led to

consider the following set
x + y = a + b + c (1)
xy = ab + be + ca (2)
where jc, y, a, b9 c are indeterminate integers.
From elementary algebra we know that, if they e
roots of the quadratic equation
X2 - (a + b + c)X + ab + be + ca = 0.
If we follow this way the next step is for us to look
integers a, b and c such that the discriminant of this eq
a2 + b2 + c2 - lab - 2bc - 2ca,

is a perfect square, in order to get integral solution
complex calculations, but we have found a much sim
general solution of the system (1) and (2).
The proof is in two parts. At first let us suppose
solution (*, y, a, b, c) to our system and def
fi = y-(a + b). It is immediate from (1) that we have
from (2) that ab = ap.
Conversely let us define the set of integers S = {a
the following way:
• a and b are two non zero arbitrary integers;

• a and /? are two integers such that ab =
arbitrary);
• c = a + b + a+fi,x = a + b + a, y = a + b + ft.
It is a matter of a few steps of computation to verify that (x, y, a, b, c) is a
solution to our system. The comparison between the two parts of the proof
shows that this is the general solution we were seeking.
Next we shall show that this simple set S not only provides the solutions
of our system, but also displays a surprising solving power with regard to
several Diophantine equations, up to the fourth degree. In this study we have
been greatly helped by some identities satisfied by the polynomial
p = u2 + v2 + w2 - uv - vw - wu,
as collected in [1] (for no obvious reason!) by the nineteenth century French
number theorist Edouard Lucas.
ON A SIMPLE SET OF INTEGERS 201
Not all our results are new, but we show that the set S and the
polynomial P form a thread linking together several interesting relations and
systems of different origins.
2. Second degree relations

By the usual algebraic formulae we derive from (1):
(jc + yf = x2 + 2xy + y2 = a2 + b2 + c2 + 2(ab + be + ca)

and by using (2) to simplify this relation, we obtain:
x2 + y2 = a2 + b2 + c2. (3)
Now we introduce the set S" = {a\ b\ a', ft ', c', jc', /}, designed
permuting a and a, and b and /? in S. More precisely:
d = a, V = fi, a' = a, /T = 6,
c' = a + /? + a + fc, jc' = a + /? + a, y' = a + fi + b.
Notice that db' = a^, which means that the relations found above with
the set S are still valid with the set S*. Moreover c' = c. Therefore the
relation (3) can be translated into
*'2 + / = d2 + V2 + c/2, (4)

and by eliminating c' = c between (3) and (4) we obtain
x2 + / + a>2 + v2 = x'2 + y2 + a2 + ^2,

that is
x2 + / + a2 + ^ = jc/2 + / + «2 + Z>2. (5)

Notice also that
x + y + a + /? = x' + / + a + 6 (= 2c) . (6)
3. 77w'rJ degree relations

From the easy to prove identity (see [1])
(w + v + w)(u2 + v2 + w2 -uv-vw- wu) = u3 + v3 + w3 - 3mvw

we obtain, after setting u = a, v = b and w = c, thanks to the relations
(1), (2) and (3):
jc3 + y3 = a3 + Z>3 + c3 - 3aZ?c.

Likewise, with the set 5' we obtain
jc'3 + / = a'3 + fc/3 + c/3 - 3db'c'.

But since c' = c and ab = aft = db\ we can eliminate c3 - 3abc
between these two last relations, to get equal sums of four cubes:
x3 + / + a3 + f? = x/3 + / + a3 + b3. (7)
4. A multigrade sum
The relations (5), (6) and (7) prove t
xk + / + a + I? = jc'*
for k = 1 , 2 or 3. This is a case of a m
A simple numerical check on a spre
not hold any more for 3 < k < 10.
As a numerical example, let us s
ab = ap = 60; then* = 27, y = 3
it = 1 22 + 39 + 3 + 20 = 27 + 38 + 4 + 15 = 84
k = 2 222 + 392 + 32 + 202 = 272 + 382 + 42 + 152 = 2414
k = 3 223 + 393 + 33 + 203 = 273 + 383 + 43 + 153 = 77994

Now let us set again a = 3, b = 20, but this time a = -4, /? = -15
ab = ap = 60; then* = 19, y = 8,/ = -16,/ = 1.
k=l -16+1+3 + 20=19 + 8-4-15 = 8
k = 2 (-162) + I2 + 32 + 202 = 192 + 82 + (-4)2 +
k = 3 -163+l3 + 33 + 203=193 + 83-43-153 =
5. A fourth degree identity

Here we shall use the following two algebraic iden
2P2 = 2(m2 + v2 + w2 - uv - vw - wu) = (u - v)4 +

and
2(m2 + v2 - mv)2 = (m - v)4 + m4 + v4

which is the same as the previous one, with w = 0.
If in the first identity we set, as before, u = a, v = b and w = c, then
the relations (2) and (3) entail 2 (a2 + y2 - xy)2 = (a - bf + (6 - c)4 + (c - a)4
and the left-hand side of this one can be transformed by setting this time
u = jc, v = y in the second of the relations above, to get
(x - yf + jc4 + / = (a - bf + (b - c)4 + (c - a)4. (9)

On the other hand it is easy to check that
(jc - yf + x2 + / = (a - fc)2 + (fc - cf + (c - a)2. (10)
But this result is an old one, in disg

replace jc, y and c in (9) and (10) by th
write:
(a - p)k + (a + b + a)* + (a + b + ft?

= (a - bf + (a + a + pf + (b + a + pf (11)
for k = 2 or 4, whenever ab = aft. And, according to [2, p. 101 (Entry
44)], this formula appears in Ramanujan's third Notebook.
Here there is nothing we could gain by resorting to the S' set since this
formula remains invariant under the permutation (a, b) <-> (a, /?) (it
replaces one side of the relation by the other one).
6. Other connections with Ramanujan's identities

Another expression for the polynomial P is the following:
p = - {(m - v) (v - w) + (v - w) (w - w) + (w - u) (u - v)} ,
which means that P is of the form ~(AB + BC + CA) with A + B + C = 0.
This form suggested several identities to Ramanujan, namely (see [2, p. 96,
Entry 43]):
2(AB + BC + CA)2 = A4 + B4 + C4 (12)

2(A£ + £C + CA)4 = A4 (B - C)4 + #*(C - A)4 + (f(A - B)A
2(Afl + BC + CA)6 = (A2£ + tfC + C24 + (AB2 + £C2 + CA2f + (3A£C)
2(AB + BC + CAf =
(A3 + 2A£C)V - Cf + (fl3 + 2A£C)4(C - A)4 + (C3 + 2ABC)\a - B

I say that each of these identities can be transformed into equal sum
three biquadrates, analogous to the relation (11). First let us set A =
2? = v-w, C = w - u in (12); we obtain 2/^(1/, v, w) as the left
side of (12), which is therefore transformed into a relation concernin
value of P («, v, w). Now if we replace uby a,vby b and w by c, we
in place of P, the polynomial x1 + y1 - xy. But noticing that jc2 + y
is none other than P(jc, >>, 0), we can also apply the formula (12) to
obtain
(X _ yf + / + / = (a _ bf +(b- Cf + (C _ fl)4f
which is the relation (9) above, which led us to relation (11).
It is now obvious that we can apply the same process of transform
to the other Ramanujan identities and, in each case, obtain equal sum
three biquadrates. As with (11) they will remain invariant unde
permutation (a, b) <-» (a, /?).
For the sake of brevity I leave the detailed calculations as exercis
the reader.
7. A generalisation of identities of ty
From the identity
2P(w, v, w) = (u - vf +
which is easily checked, and the alrea
IP^iu, v, w) = (m - v)4 + (v
we deduce that if the sets of integer
P(x, y, z) = P(a, ft, c), then we will h
(x-y)k + (y-z)k + (z-x)k = (

And to have P(jc, y, z) = P(fl, ft, c) it
jc + y + z = a + ft + c (18)
and
xy + yz + zx = ab + be + ca (19)
or equivalently (18) and
x2 + / + z2 = a2 + b2 + c2. (20)
This latter system was much studied in the late 19th and the early 20th
centuries, as a part of the problem of finding equal sums of equal powers. In
his History of the theory of numbers [3] L. E. Dickson has collected from
the literature many solutions of the system (18) and (20) that we can use to
generates equal sums of the type (17) considered above. However for any
solution of this system one must check that the two sets of differences
{(* - y)> (y - z)9 (z - jc)} and {(a - ft), (ft - c), (c - a)} are not the
same (in absolute values), up to their order, else we shall get a tautological
relation (17).
For instance (2, 3, 7) and (1, 5, 6) form a solution of the system, since
2 + 3 + 7=1+5 + 6=12 and 22 + 32 + 72 = 12 + 52 + 62 = 62. But the
respective sets of differences are (-1, -4, 5) and again (-1, -4, 5) (after
reordering), which entails a relation (17) certainly mathematically correct
but not interesting at all! From this point of view the solutions provided by
Dickson form a mixed lot, some being 'non-interesting' ones such as the
previous numerical example (for instance (p, p + a, p + 2a + 3n) and
(p - n, p + a + 2n, p + 2a + In) [3, p. 706], while others can be used to
generate new equal sums (17) (for instance {ab + cd, be, ad) and
(be + ad, ab, cd), in Dickson's notation [3, foot of p. 706]).
8. A self-feeding process
An obvious source of solutions of the system (18) and (20) are the equal
sums of relation (17), because if Sk + fl* + Tk = Uk + Vk + Wk holds for
both k = 2 and k = 4, then (S2, if, T2) and (U2, V2, W2) form a solution
of the system, and therefore
(S2 - fl2)* + (fl2 - T2f + (r2 - S2)* = {U2 - V2f + (V2 - W2f + {W2 - ui (21)
holds also for both k = 2 and k = 4. And so on ...
So here we can generate a potentially

equal powers for the powers k =
because nothing warrants that in this re
also it might be terminated by the occu
in the numerical example above.
We notice that (21) holds also for A: =
9. Bird's system
For the even powers k = 2 and k = 4, relation (11) can be
equivalently written as
(a - pf + (-a - b - af + (a + b + pf =
{a - bf + {a - a - pf + (b + a + pf
and under this form, it holds also for k = 1, with zero as the common value
of both sums. In other words the set 5, as modified above, provides a
solution in integers of the system:
X+Y+Z=A+B+C
X2 + Y2 + Z2 = A2 + B? + C2
This system was thoroughly studied at the b

the Italian mathematician Umberto Bini [4].
• to obtain infinitely many non-trivial sol

necessary and sufficient that the comm
and A + B + C be zero;
• all its solutions can be found by solving a single Diophantine
equation, namely:
fl2 + RS + S2 = U2 + UV + V2. (22)

Equation (22) provides a link with our work, since if in the polynomial
m2 + mn + n2 we replace the pair (m, n) by any pair of distinct expressions
picked up from the triad {u - v, v - w, w - w}, we obtain the polynomial
P(u, v, w). Also, returning to the sets S and 5", a short calculation yields
x2 + y2 _ xy = j'2 + /2 - jc'/ = a2 + fc2 + a2 + i82 + (a + b)(a+p)-p,

where p denotes the common value of ab and a/?; this relation provides a
solution to Bini's equation (22): (/?, 5) = (x, -y) and (tf, V) = (jc', -/).
It is worth noting that Bini's equation appears in recent analysis of the 6-
10-8 identity of Ramanujan [5] and the 3-7-5 identity of M. Hirschhorn [6]
(see also [7] for this last one).
From the previous paragraph, it is clear that from any single solution of
the Bini's system, we can obtain a potentially infinite sequence of new ones.
10. Yet another form for P(u9v,w)

We can check that 4P(w, v, w) =
and n = v - w. This led us to have
m2 + 3n2, in connection with the sum
And actually, for any complex numbe
2(m2 + 3n) = (m + nf
2(m2 + 3n2f = (m + n)4

which entails that for any solution of
X2 + 3F2 = U2 + 3V2 (25)

we have:
(-X - 7)* + (X - F)* + (2Y)k = (-1/ - V)k + (£/ - V)* + (2V)* (26)
for A: = 1, k = 2 and it = 4; this is a solution of Bini's system. (Formula
(24) has been already used in earlier works about sums of biquadrates; see
[8, p. 242]. Observe also that P(m, n, -n) = m2 + 3n2, which means that
we can apply to the form all the formulas already found for the polynomial.)
1 1 . Representations and triads for even and odd integers

However it must be stressed that non-trivial solutions of (25) do not
warrant non-trivial solutions for (26). For instance the table of values of
m2 + 3n2 < 1000 compiled by Euler ([9, p 446]) shows that 988 = m2 + 3n2
for six distinct pairs (m, n) of positive numbers listed in the table below,
along with the corresponding triads of absolute values
(\m + n\ , \m - n\ , |2n|).
m n \m + n\ \m - n\ \2n\
4 18 22 14 36
11 17 28 6 34
20 14 34 6 28
25 11 36 14 22
29 7 36 22 14
31 3 34 28 6
TABLE 1
And, on reordering these triads according to the ascending values of their

elements, we are left with only two distinct ones, namely (14, 22, 36) and
(6, 28, 34). After having discarded their common factor 2, we obtain only
one single primitive solution of Bin

numbers), for:
7 + 11 - 18 = 3 + 14 - 17 = 0
72 + II2 + (-18)2 = 32 + 142 + (-17)2 = 494
t + II4 + (-18)4 = 34 + 144 + (-17)4 = 122 018,
out of =15 equations (25). An even more striking - and nega
example is provided by 876 = m2 + 3n2 for (m, n) = (3, 17) or

or (27, 7), because here we obtain only one corresponding triad, w
(14, 20, 34), and therefore no solution at all for (26). In sharp cont
has only three representations by the form, with (m, n) = (8, 17) o
or (28,7), but all the three triads they yield are distinct, for these
(34, 25, 9), (31, 30, 1), and (35, 21, 14). This entails that:
25 + 9 - 34 = 30 + 1 - 31 = 21 + 14 - 35 = 0
252 + 92 + (-34)2 = 302 + I2 + (-31)2 = 212 + 142 + (-35)2 = 1862
254 + 94 + (-34)4 = 304 + I4 + (-31)4 = 214 + 144 + (-35)4 = 1 733

Therefore the integers having several representations by the form
split into two distinct classes: those with at least two distinct tri
useful ones, from our standpoint), and those with only a single o
studying Euler's table, one is led to conjecture that if an odd inte
several representations, invariably they yield distinct triads.
statement is very easy to prove. Suppose that N is an odd integer w
different representations m2 + 3n2 and q2 + 3T2. Since N is odd,
must have different parities, as well as q and r, which means that
\lr\ are the only even entries of the corresponding two triads; ther
these triads to be the same it is necessary that |n| = |r|, which imm
entails that also \m\ = \q\. And this clearly leads to a contradiction
hypothesis that the two representations of N are distinct.
As for the even integers, they follow a different rule. A study ma
few examples tends to show that for them the numbers of distinct
only one third of the distinct representations. To understand wh
consider the following relation: for any m and n:
4(m2 + 3n2) = (l2 + 3(l2))(m2 + 3n) = (m - 3nf + 3{m +

= (m + 3n)2 + 3(m - nf
by Brahmagupta's identity. And by dividing by 4 we obtain:
N = m2 + 3n2 = [\{m - 3n)f + 3[£(m + n)]2
= [i(m + 3n)]2 + 3[Hm-n)]2.
For the two last expressions to be mad

necessary that m and n be of the same p
N is an even number. And, as can be ch
representations of N (labelled /^, /^, /?3,
the same triad, namely {\m + n\9 \m
there exists a fourth representation (/
the three that we have just met, but yield
|2r| must be equal to one of the three e
|2r| = \ln\ it means that \r\ = |n|, an
Likewise if \lr\ = \m + n\ <=> \r\ = \
and finally if \lr\ = \m - n\ « \r\ = \
summary, we reach a contradiction with
from all the other representations, i.e.
exist.
This result explains and proves the ra

the number of distinct triads and the n
even number. In passing it shows th
exceptions: the perfect squares or the tr
of distinct representations of an even nu
12. A pattern in the list of the representa

A study of the even numbers less tha
form m2 + 3n2 reveals a regular pattern
triads in a table ordered according to t
such a table is displayed in Table 2,
having the highest number of represen
10 000 (data obtained by computer).
9/~ m - n m + n In triad
m n m2 9/~ + 3n2 __ __ _
2 48 6916 23 25 48 (a)
17 47 6916 15 32 47 (b)
29 45 6916 8 37 45 (c)
37 43 6916 3 40 43 (d)
46 40 6916 3 43 40 (d)
53 37 6916 8 45 37 (c)
62 32 6916 15 47 32 (b)
71 25 6916 23 48 25 (a)
73 23 6916 25 48 23 (a)
79 15 6916 32 47 15 (b)
82 8 6916 37 45 8 (c)
83 3 6916 40 43 3 (d)
TABLE 2
As expected from the analysis above

exactly one third of the number of repr
we have a sequence of triads (labell
distinct triads, then in the following
reversed again, till we reach the end of
same can be observed in Table 1. We co
by any multi-represented even num
representations. So far we have not foun
13. Some ways to obtain infinitely m

system
a) Returning to the sets S and &, an elementary transformation of Bini's
equation leads us to
(2jc->>)2 + 3);2 = (2jc'-/)2 + 3/2
= 4{a2 + b2 + a2 + fi + (a + b)(a +0) -/?}
where p denotes the common value of ab and a/3. The corresponding triads
are, after having discarded the common factor 2, (x,x-y,y) and
(*',*' -/,/),i-e. (a + b + a9a - fra + b + ft) and (a + fi + a,a - b,a + fi + b)
which in general are distinct. For instance if we set as before a = 3, b = 20,
a = 4, ft = 15, which means that x = 27, y = 38, jc' = 22, / = 39, the
corresponding triads are (in absolute values, and after reordering):
(11, 27, 38) and (17, 22, 39).
b) If we multiply both sides of the equation m2 + 3n2 = q2 + 3r2 by 3, we
obtain the equivalent equation (3n)2 + 3m2 = (3r)2 + 3q2. Interestingly,
although this new equation is absolutely equivalent to the former, it yields
triads all different from the previous ones, as evidenced by the comparison
between Table 2 and Table 3 below.
~ ,- 3n - m 3n + m triad
m n mr + 3nz - - - - - - m
2 2 identity
2 48 6916 71 73 2 (e)
17 47 6916 62 79 17 (f)
29 45 6916 53 82 29 (g)
37 43 6916 46 83 37 (h)
46 40 6916 37 83 46 (h)
53 37 6916 29 82 53 (g)
62 32 6916 17 79 62 (f)
71 25 6916 2 73 71 (e)
73 23 6916 2 71 73 (e)
79 15 6916 17 62 79 (f)
82 8 6916 29 53 82 (g)
83 3 6916 37 46 83 (h)
TABLE 3
In passing, we see that the four di

produced by the representations of anot
6916 the factor 1729), as shown by Tabl
m n m2 + 3n2 m - n m + n 2n
12 41 5187 29 53 82
48 31 5187 17 79 62
60 23 5187 37 83 46
72 1 5187 71 73 2
TABLE 4
These observations suggest the following, still unanswered, questions:
• Can any given solution of Bini's system, or may be only some of

the solutions, be produced from different multi-represented
numbers?
• Are multi-represented odd integers sufficient to produce all the

solutions of Bini's system?
c) We may also use different properties of the Pell equation.

The equation /u2 - 3v2 = 1 has infinitely many solutions in integers.
Moreover, by Brahmagupta's identity,
{ju2 - 3v2)(A2 - 3EF) = (M + 3vB)2 - 3(vA + juB)2 .

From this last relation we deduce that if p2 - 3v2 = l,then
A2 + 3(vA + juB)2 = (ptA + 3vB)2 + 3B1

which provides solutions to equation (25), and therefore
(-A - vA - /*B)k + (A - vA - juB)k + (2vA + 2/uB)k =
(-juA - 3vB - B)k + QjA + 3vB - B)k + (2B)k

for A: = l,jfc = 2 and A: = 4.
But actually it is a much wider array of Pell equations which can be put
to task.
Let h = 2r + 1 be any odd positive integer greater than 3 and not a

perfect square; in that case, according to the well known theory, the Pell
equation jc2 - hy1 = 1 (PI) has infinitely many solutions in pairs of
positive integers (jc, y\ which can be arranged as an infinite sequence
(*n> yn\ composed of increasing sequences xn and yn that both tend to
infinity as n increases.
Now we have h = (r + I)2 - r2 and 3 = 22 - I2. Therefore by
applying Brahmagupta's identity we obtain
3h = (3r + 2)2 - (3r + I)2 = (r + 2)2 - (r - I)2.
If we take the first expression of 3h a

following way:
x2 _ (3r + 2)2-(3r+ 1)2^2

By multiplying both sides by 3, we obta
{(3r + l)y}2 + 3x2 = {(3r + 2

which yields, for any solution (xm yn) o
{|(3r+ l)yll + xll|,|(3r + l)yn - x

and
{|(3r + 2)yn + l|,|(3r + 2)yB- l|, 2}.

It is not difficult to prove that in the first triad all the entries tend to infinity
with n, while in the second one the last entry is constant; therefore, beyond a
certain n, we surely have infinitely many pairs of distinct triads, that is
infinitely many solutions of Bini's system. The same conclusion can be
reached when using the second expression for 3h. Also we could have used
the more general equation x2 - hy2 = z2. For instance, for h = 5 and
z = 2, we have xn = Lin and yn = F2n as solutions, with Lm and Fm being
respectively the well known Lucas and Fibonacci numbers of rank m [10].
14. Bini's system in 4 + 4 indeterminates

What we have just seen implies that
((3r + \)yn - xn)k + (-(3r + \)yn - xnf + (2xn? =
((3r + 2)yn - if + (-(3r + 2)* - 1)* + 2*

for/: = 1,2 and 4.
Likewise, for the same values of fc, we can derive from the second
expression of 3h:
((r - \)yn - *„)* + (-(r - l)yn - jc^ + (2jcn)* =
((r + 2)yn - 1)* + (-(r + 2)yn - 1)* + 2".

Comparing these two relations, we see that we can eliminate (2jcw)* and 2k,
so as to obtain, for A: = 1,2 and 4:
((3r + \)yn - xn)k + (-(3r + l)yn - jO* + «r + 2)y» - 1)" + (-(r + 2)yn - l/ =
((3r + 2)>;n-l/ + (-(3r + 2)>;n~l)" + ((r-l)};n-^ + (~(r-l)};n-^

that is, a solution of a system 'a la Bini', this time with four indeterminates
on each side of the relations, instead of three as in the original Bini's system.
Notice that now the common sum for k = 1 is no longer zero as in the
original Bini's system, but - (2 + 2xn).
15. Miscellanies
(a) Since, thanks to Brahmagupta's identity, m2 + 3n2 can be written as Zk,

identities (23) and (24) provides infinitely many solutions to the
Diophantine system:
2Z* = fl2 + S2 + T2 and 2Z2n = F? + S4 + t.
(b) The form m2 + 3n2 plays an important role in the solutions of certain
Diophantine equations involving cubes, for instance in those of
A3 + B3 + C3 = D3 discovered by Euler (see [9, pp. 439 and 446-447]
and [1 1, pp. 559-560]). Hence the table for m2 + 3n2 < 1000 which he
inserted into the first of his quoted articles.
References
1. Edouard Lucas, Theorie des nombres, Gauthier-Villars, Paris (1891),
p. 128, Exemple V (as reprinted by Jacques Gabay, Paris, 1991).
2. Bruce Berndt, Ramanujan notebooks, Part IV, Springer Verlag, New
York (1994).
3. Leonard E. Dickson, History of the theory of numbers, Carnegie
Institution of Washington, Washington (1920) 2, pp. 705-711.
4. U. Bini, Sur quelques questions d'analyse indeterminee, Mathesis,
3eme serie, 9, (1909) pp. 113-118.
5. Tito Piezas III: Ramanujan 6-10-8 identity at http://
mathworld.wolfram.com/Ramanujan6-10-8Identity.html
6. Tito Piezas III: Hirschhorn 3-5-7 identity at http://
mathworld.wolfram.com/Hirschhorn3-7-5Identity.html
7. M. D. Hirschhorn, Two or three identities of Ramanujan, Amer. Math.
Monthly, 105-1 (1998) pp. 52-55.
8. Artemas Martin, A rigorous method for finding biquadrate numbers
whose sum is biquadrate, Deuxieme Congres International des
Mathematiciens, Paris, 1900, pp. 239-248.
9. L. Euler, Solutio generalis quorundam problematum Diophanteorum,
quae vulgo nonnisi solutiones speciales admittere videntur, Opera
Omnia, Series 1, Volume 2, pp. 428-458.
10. V. E. Hoggatt, Fibonacci and Lucas numbers, Houghton Mifflin
(1969).
11. L. Euler, Supplementum quorundam theorematum Arithmeticorum
quae in nonnullis demonstrationibus supponuntur, Opera Omnia, Series
1, Volume 2, pp. 556-575.
JUANPLA
575 rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris, France
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On a simple set of integers, The Mathematical Gazette, 93 (2009) pp 200_212

Article in The Mathematical Gazette · July 2009

A set of integers related to the Pell numbers View project

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On a simple set of integer

During an investigation on some Diophantine systems, we were led to

a2 + b2 + c2 - lab - 2bc - 2ca,

• a and b are two non zero arbitrary integers;

2. Second degree relations

(jc + yf = x2 + 2xy + y2 = a2 + b2 + c2 + 2(ab + be + ca)

*'2 + / = d2 + V2 + c/2, (4)

x2 + / + a>2 + v2 = x'2 + y2 + a2 + ^2,

x2 + / + a2 + ^ = jc/2 + / + «2 + Z>2. (5)

x + y + a + /? = x' + / + a + 6 (= 2c) . (6)

3. 77w'rJ degree relations

(w + v + w)(u2 + v2 + w2 -uv-vw- wu) = u3 + v3 + w3 - 3mvw

jc3 + y3 = a3 + Z>3 + c3 - 3aZ?c.

jc'3 + / = a'3 + fc/3 + c/3 - 3db'c'.

x3 + / + a3 + f? = x/3 + / + a3 + b3. (7)

k = 2 222 + 392 + 32 + 202 = 272 + 382 + 42 + 152 = 2414

k = 3 223 + 393 + 33 + 203 = 273 + 383 + 43 + 153 = 77994

k = 2 (-162) + I2 + 32 + 202 = 192 + 82 + (-4)2 +

k = 3 -163+l3 + 33 + 203=193 + 83-43-153 =

5. A fourth degree identity

2P2 = 2(m2 + v2 + w2 - uv - vw - wu) = (u - v)4 +

2(m2 + v2 - mv)2 = (m - v)4 + m4 + v4

(x - yf + jc4 + / = (a - bf + (b - c)4 + (c - a)4. (9)

(jc - yf + x2 + / = (a - fc)2 + (fc - cf + (c - a)2. (10)

But this result is an old one, in disg

(a - p)k + (a + b + a)* + (a + b + ft?

6. Other connections with Ramanujan's identities

2(AB + BC + CA)2 = A4 + B4 + C4 (12)

2(Afl + BC + CA)6 = (A2£ + tfC + C24 + (AB2 + £C2 + CA2f + (3A£C)

(A3 + 2A£C)V - Cf + (fl3 + 2A£C)4(C - A)4 + (C3 + 2ABC)\a - B

(x-y)k + (y-z)k + (z-x)k = (

So here we can generate a potentially

This system was thoroughly studied at the b

• to obtain infinitely many non-trivial sol

fl2 + RS + S2 = U2 + UV + V2. (22)

x2 + y2 _ xy = j'2 + /2 - jc'/ = a2 + fc2 + a2 + i82 + (a + b)(a+p)-p,

10. Yet another form for P(u9v,w)

2(m2 + 3n2f = (m + n)4

X2 + 3F2 = U2 + 3V2 (25)

1 1 . Representations and triads for even and odd integers

And, on reordering these triads according to the ascending values of their

one single primitive solution of Bin

72 + II2 + (-18)2 = 32 + 142 + (-17)2 = 494

t + II4 + (-18)4 = 34 + 144 + (-17)4 = 122 018,

out of =15 equations (25). An even more striking - and nega

example is provided by 876 = m2 + 3n2 for (m, n) = (3, 17) or

252 + 92 + (-34)2 = 302 + I2 + (-31)2 = 212 + 142 + (-35)2 = 1862

254 + 94 + (-34)4 = 304 + I4 + (-31)4 = 214 + 144 + (-35)4 = 1 733

4(m2 + 3n2) = (l2 + 3(l2))(m2 + 3n) = (m - 3nf + 3{m +

N = m2 + 3n2 = [\{m - 3n)f + 3[£(m + n)]2

= [i(m + 3n)]2 + 3[Hm-n)]2.

For the two last expressions to be mad

This result explains and proves the ra

12. A pattern in the list of the representa

As expected from the analysis above

13. Some ways to obtain infinitely m

In passing, we see that the four di

((r - \)yn - „) + (-(r - l)yn - jc^ + (2jcn)* =