Solution of Brocard’s problem

Title : Solution of Brocard’s problem

Author Name : Shubhankar Paul

Email id : paulshubhankar20@gmail.com

Institution : None.

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 Solution of Brocard’s problem
Abstract :

In this paper, I solve Brocard’s problem.

Brocard’s problem :

Does n! + 1 = m2 have integer solutions other than n = 4, 5, 7?

It was posed by Henri Brocard in a pair of articles in 1876 and 1885, and independently in 1913 by Srinivasa
Ramanujan.

Solution :

Now, n! + 1 = m2

Last digit of n! + 1 is 1 for n > 4 and for large n, n! + 1 will end like this 0000000001.

Now, last digit of m can be either 1 or 9.

Now, I have checked with arithmetic that if the numbers are like 31249, 749, 499, ...99999, 51, 000001 then last
digit 1 and previous digits are 0’s. But it stop giving 0’s in the cases 31249, 749, 499, 251, 3751. I have given the
complete chart below for your reference :

(31249)2 = 976500001, (131249)2 = 17226300001, (231249)2 = 53476100001, (331249)2 =109725900001,

(431249)2 = 185975700001, (531249)2 = 282225500001, (631249)2 = 398475300001, (731249)2 = 534725100001,
(831249)2 = 690974900001, (931249)2 = 867224700001. It stops giving 0’s after giving 4 0’s.

(749)2 = 561001, (1749)2 = 3059001, (2749)2 = 7557001, (3749)2 = 14055001, (4749)2 = 22553001, (5749)2 =
33051001, (6749)2 = 45549001, (7749)2 = 60047001, (8749)2 = 76545001, (9749)2 = 95043001. It stops giving 0’s
after giving 2 0’s.

(499)2 = 249001, (1499)2 = 2247001, (2499)2 = 6245001, (3499)2 = 12243001, (4499)2 = 20241001, (5499)2 =
30239001, (6499)2 = 42237001, (7499)2 = 56235001, (8499)2 = 72233001, (9499)2 = 90231001. It stops giving 0’s
after giving 2 0’s.

Similarly, a2512 and a37512 stop giving 0’s.

So, we see that m = either a9999999…9 or a000000….001

Case 1 : m = a99999999999….9 x number of 9’s.

Then m = a*10x + 10x – 1 = 10x*b – 1 where a + 1 = b

 m2 = 102xb2 – 2*10xb + 1 = n! + 1
 n! = b*10x(b*10x – 2)
 n!/10x = b(b*10x – 2)
 n!/10x + 2b = b2*10x

Let, b = cd where c and d are not multiplied rather they are concatenation.

Let, n!/10x = ef

 f + 2d = 10x

And, e + 2c + 1 = (cd)2 …….. (A)

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 Solution of Brocard’s problem
Let, 33|b

Let, d ≡ r (mod 33)

 c ≡ -r (mod 33) Assuming 3|x.

 f ≡ 1 – 2r (mod 33)
 e ≡ 2r – 1 (mod 33) which satisfies equation (A)
 Our assumption was correct.
 3|x
 x = u – 2 where u is 3’s power contained in n!.

Which is impossible as x is 5’s power contained in x an u is 3’s power contained in x, u is far greater than x.

Here is the contradiction.

Case 2 : m = a00000….0001 with x 0’s.

Now, m2 – 1 = a*10x(a*10x + 2) = n!

 n!/10x – 2a = a2*10x
 If n!/10x = c(2d), then a = bd (Note that c(2d) is not c multiplied by 2d rather concatenation of c and 2d,
similarly, bd is concatenation of b and d)

bd|c(2d)

 c – 2b = (bd)2 ….. (A)

Let, 3|a

Now, let b ≡ r (mod 33), then d ≡ -r (mod 33) assuming 3|x.

Then, 2d ≡ -2r (mod 33)

 c ≡ 2r which is correct as per equation (A).

So, our assumption was perfect.

 3|x
 x = u – 2 where u is 3’s power contained in n!.

Which is impossible as x is 5’s power contained in x an u is 3’s power contained in x, u is far greater than x.

No solution exists when m = a00000…001 with x 0’s.

Berndt & Galway (2000) performed calculations for n up to 10 9 and found no further solutions. Matson (2017) has
recently claimed to have extended this by 3 orders of magnitude to one trillion. (Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocard%27s_problem , Accessed on 2nd February, 2019 at 4:04 AM IST)

 It ends with lots of 0’s.

 there is no solution to the equation except for n = 4, 5, 7.

Brocard’s problem is solved.

Reference :

[1] Berndt, Bruce C.; Galway, William F. (2000), "The Brocard–Ramanujan diophantine equation n! + 1 = m2", The
Ramanujan Journal, 4: 41–42, doi:10.1023/A:1009873805276.