SOLUTION: consider the equation x^2+y^2=2007 .how many solutions(x,y) exist such that x and y are positive integers? A. NONE B. EXACTLY TWO C. MORE THAN TWO BUT FINITELY MANY D. INFINITE

Algebra ->  Divisibility and Prime Numbers -> SOLUTION: consider the equation x^2+y^2=2007 .how many solutions(x,y) exist such that x and y are positive integers? A. NONE B. EXACTLY TWO C. MORE THAN TWO BUT FINITELY MANY D. INFINITE      Log On


   



Question 872363: consider the equation x^2+y^2=2007 .how many solutions(x,y) exist such that x and y are positive integers?
A. NONE
B. EXACTLY TWO
C. MORE THAN TWO BUT FINITELY MANY
D. INFINITELY MANY

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
None.  Here's why:

x and y cannot be equal since

x²+x²=2007
  2x²=2007
   x²=2007/2

Thus x cannot be an integer.

Thus x² and y² are not equal.

0²=0, 1²=1, 2²=4, 3²=9, 4²=16, 5²=25, 6²=36, 7²=49, 8²=64, 9²=81

Therefore squares only end with 0,1,4,5,6, or 9.

Therefore the only way the sum of two different squares could end 
with 7 is for one of them to end with 1 and the other to end with 6.

By symmetry, there is no loss in generality by supposing x² ends in
1 and y² ends in 6. 

There are 4 cases to consider.

x ends in 1 or 9 and y ends in 4 or 6

Case 1:   x ends in 1 and y ends in 4

x = 10u+1  and y = 10v+4, for some positive integers u and v

(10u+1)² + (10v+4)² = 2007

100u²+20u+1 + 100v²+80v+16 = 2007

100u² + 100v² + 20u + 80v = 1990

The left side is divisible by 20 but the right side isn't.

Thus Case 1 is out.

Case 2:   x ends in 1 and y ends in 6

x = 10u+1  and y = 10v+6, for some positive integers u and v

(10u+1)² + (10v+6)² = 2007

100u²+20u+1 + 100v²+120v+36 = 2007

100u² + 100v² + 20u + 120v = 1970

The left side is divisible by 20 but the right side isn't.

Thus Case 2 is out.

Case 3:   x ends in 9 and y ends in 4

x = 10u+9  and y = 10v+4

(10u+9)² + (10v+4)² = 2007

100u²+180u+81 + 100v²+80v+16 = 2007

100u² + 100v² + 180u + 80v = 1910

The left side is divisible by 20 but the right side isn't.

Thus Case 3 is out.

Case 4:   x ends in 9 and y ends in 6

x = 10u+9  and y = 10v+6

(10u+9)² + (10v+6)² = 2007

100u²+180u+81 + 100v²+120v+36 = 2007

100u² + 100v² + 180u + 120v = 1890

The left side is divisible by 20 but the right side isn't.

Thus Case 4 is out.

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Thus there are no solutions.

Edwin