Vieta Jumping

Justin Stevens
September 14, 2013
Abstract
The technique of Vieta Jumping is a very challenging technique in
Olympiad Number Theory involving using a root of an equation that
we know to nd other roots. The way that we can use Vieta Jumping
is in situations where we know a root of an equation (say it is a), then
we can nd another root. Repeating this method we can arrive at
the conclusion that there are innitely many solutions (if values are
increasing) or zero solutions (in the case of a contradiction when the
values are decreasing). For readers that do not recall Vietas formula
they are as follows: For a quadratic ax
2
+bx +c with roots r
1
and r
2
r
1
+ r
2
=
b
a
r
1
r
2
=
c
a
1 Examples
Example 1. Prove that for every real number N, the equation
x
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ x
2
3
+ x
2
4
= x
1
x
2
x
3
+ x
1
x
2
x
4
+ x
1
x
3
x
4
+ x
2
x
3
x
4
has a solution for which x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, x
4
are all integers larger than N.
[1988 Putnam]
Solution. Notice that a trivial solution of this equation is (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, x
4
) =
(1, 1, 1, 1). This is our generator of the other solutions, what we are about
to do is nd a form for another solution in terms of the other variables for
1
x
1
to nd a new value of x
1
that works. To do this, we have to isolate the
variables to make a quadratic in terms of x
1
. We arrive at the equation
x
2
1
x
1
(x
2
x
3
+ x
2
x
4
+ x
3
x
4
) + x
2
2
+ x
2
3
+ x
2
4
x
2
x
3
x
4
= 0
Therefore, we notice that if the solutions for x
1
are x
1
= r
1
, r
2
, we have
r
1
+ r
2
= x
2
x
3
+ x
2
x
4
+ x
3
x
4
by Vietas formula. Assume that (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, x
4
) = (r
1
, s
1
, t
1
, u
1
) is a solution
of the original equation with WLOG u
1
t
1
s
1
r
1
. Then by the above
relationship (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
, x
4
) = (s
1
t
1
+s
1
u
1
+t
1
u
1
r
1
, s
1
, t
1
, u
1
) is also a solution
to the equation. We notice that s
1
t
1
+ s
1
u
1
+ t
1
u
1
r
1
> u
1
t
1
s
1
r
1
.
Therefore, the new solution for x
1
is the new largest value. Repeating this
procedure for the variables x
2
, x
3
, x
4
and so on we can always create a new
largest value, hence our largest value tends to innity and it is larger than
N for all real N .
That was a mouthful! Go back and read this a few times through, walk
away from your computer and walk around with it a bit, its a confusing
method but once you understand it you are golden!
Example 2. Let a and b be positive integers. Show that if 4ab 1 divides
(4a
2
1)
2
, then a = b.
[2004 IMO]
Solution. Start out with noting that because gcd(b, 4ab 1) = 1, we have:
4ab 1 | (4a
2
1)
2
4ab 1 | b
2
(4a
2
1)
2
= 4ab 1 | 16a
4
b
2
8a
2
b
2
+ b
2
= 4ab 1 | (16a
2
b
2
)(a
2
) (4ab)(2ab) + b
2
= 4ab 1 | (1)(a
2
) (1)(2ab) + b
2
= 4ab 1 | (a b)
2
The last step follows from 16a
2
b
2
(4ab)
2
1 (mod 4ab 1) and 4ab 1
(mod 4ab 1).
Let (a, b) = (a
1
, b
1
) be a solution to 4ab 1|(a b)
2
with a
1
> b
1
contra-
dicting a = b where a
1
and b
1
are both positive integers. Assume a
1
+b
1
has
2
the smallest sum among all pairs (a, b) with a > b , and I will prove this is
absurd. To do so, I prove that there exists another solution (a, b) = (a
2
, b
1
)
with a smaller sum. Set k =
(ab
1
)
2
4ab
1
1
be an equation in a. Expanding this we
arrive at
4ab
1
k k = a
2
2ab
1
+ b
2
1
= a
2
a(2b
1
+ 4b
1
k) + b
2
1
+ k = 0
This equation has roots a = a
1
, a
2
so we can now use Vietas on the equation
to attempt to prove that a
1
> a
2
. First, we must prove a
2
is a positive
integer. Notice that from a
1
+ a
2
= 2b
1
+ 4b
1
k via Vietas hence a
2
is an
integer. Assume that a
2
is negative or zero. If a
2
is zero or negative, then
we would have
a
2
1
a
1
(2b
1
+ 4b
1
k) + b
2
1
+ k = 0 b
2
+ k
absurd. Therefore, a
2
is a positive integer and (a
2
, b
1
) is another pair that
contradicts a = b. Now, a
1
a
2
= b
2
1
+ k from Vietas. Therefore, a
2
=
b
2
+k
a
1
.
We desire to show that a
2
< a
1
.
a
2
< a
1

b
2
1
+ k
a
1
< a
1
b
2
1
+
(a
1
b
1
)
2
4a
1
b
1
1
< a
2
1

(a
1
b
1
)
2
4a
1
b
1
1
< (a
1
b
1
)(a
1
+ b
1
)

(a
1
b
1
)
4a
1
b
1
1
< a
1
+ b
1
Notice that we can cancel a
1
b
1
from both sides because we assumed that
a
1
> b
1
. The last inequality is true because 4a
1
b
1
1 > 1 henceforth we
have arrived at the contradiction that a
1
+ b
1
> a
2
+ b
1
. Henceforth, it is
impossible to have a > b (our original assumption) and by similar logic it is
impossible to have b > a forcing a = b .
Example 3. Let x and y be positive integers such that xy divides x
2
+y
2
+1.
Prove that
x
2
+ y
2
+ 1
xy
= 3
3
[Problems of Elementary Number Theory]
Solution. Let (x, y) = (x
1
, y
1
) be a solution such that x + y is minimal and
x
2
+y
2
+1
xy
= k = 3. WLOG let x
1
y
1
(because the equation is symmetric).
However, if x
1
= y
1
, then we must have
2x
2
1
+1
x
2
1
= 2 +
1
x
2
1
= k and since k is a
positive integer, x
1
= y
1
= 1 which gives k = 3 but we are assuming k = 3
so hence x
1
= y
1
and x
1
y
1
+ 1 (we will use this later). I will prove that
we are able to nd another solution (x
2
, y
1
) with x
2
+ y
1
< x
1
+ y
1
forcing
k = 3 since it contradicts the assumption that x + y is minimal.
x
2
+ y
2
1
+ 1
xy
1
= k
= x
2
x(ky
1
) + y
2
1
+ 1 = 0
This equation is solved when x = x
1
, x
2
. We will now prove that x
2
is a
positive integer. Notice that x
1
+ x
2
= ky
1
therefore x
2
is an integer. Also
from Vietas, x
1
x
2
= y
2
1
+ 1 > 0 = x
2
> 0 from x
1
> 0. Therefore, x
2
is a
positive integer and (x
2
, y
1
) is another pair that contradicts the
x
2
+y
2
+1
xy
= 3
statement. Using x
1
x
2
= y
2
1
+ 1, we arrive at x
2
=
y
2
1
+1
x
1
. We desire x
2
< x
1
.
x
2
< x
1

y
2
1
+ 1
x
1
< x
1
y
2
1
+ 1 < x
2
1
butx
2
1
(y
1
+ 1)
2
= y
2
1
+ 2y + 1 > y
2
1
+ 1
Therefore, x
2
< x
1
and we have y
1
+ x
2
< y
1
+ x
1
contradicting our initial
assumption, and hence k = 3 .
Example 4. Let a, b be positive integers with ab = 1. Suppose that ab 1
divides a
2
+ b
2
. Show that
a
2
+ b
2
ab 1
= 5
.
Solution. Let (a, b) = (a
1
, b
1
) with WLOG a
1
b
1
be the pair of integers
such that
a
2
+ b
2
ab 1
= k = 5
4
and a + b is the smallest. If a
1
= b
1
, then we would have
2a
2
1
a
2
1
1
= k = 2 +
2
2a
2
1
which is only an integer when a
1
= 1 however a
1
= b
1
= 1 gives a
1
b
1
= 1
contradicting ab = 1 and giving zero in the denominator. Therefore a
1
= b
1
and a
1
b
1
+ 1 (we will use this later). I will show that there exist a pair
(a, b) = (a
2
, b
1
) such that a
1
> a
2
contradicting a
1
+ b
1
being minimal.
a
2
+ b
2
1
ab
1
1
= k
= a
2
+ b
2
1
= kab
1
k
= a
2
a(kb
1
) + b
2
1
+ k = 0
We now have a quadratic in terms of a with roots a = a
1
, a
2
. I will now prove
a
2
is a positive integer. Notice that a
1
+ a
2
= kb
1
hence a
2
is an integer and
a
1
a
2
= b
2
1
+ k gives us that a
2
is positive since b
2
1
+ k is positive and a
1
is
positive.
We desire to prove that a
2
< a
1
. From Vietas we have a
1
a
2
= b
2
1
+ k
hence a
2
=
b
2
1
+k
a
1
a
2
< a
1

b
2
1
+ k
a
1
< a
1
b
2
1
+ k < a
2
1

a
2
1
+ b
2
1
a
1
b
1
1
< a
2
1
b
2
1

a
2
1
+ b
2
1
a
1
b
1
1
< a
1
+ b
1
from dierence of squares anda
1
b
1
1
a
2
1
+ b
2
1
< a
2
1
b
1
+ a
1
b
2
1
a
1
b
1
a
1
+ b
1
< a
1
(a
1
b
1
1) + b
1
(a
1
b
1
b
1
)
If a
1
, b
1
2 then this inequality is obviously true and a
2
< a
1
contradicting
the minimal assumption and k = 5. If a
1
or b
1
are equal to 1 then we are
not done however and we have to prove that k =
a
2
1
+b
2
1
a
1
b
1
1
= 5 in this situation.
Since a
1
b
1
+ 1, let b
1
= 1. We therefore have k =
a
2
1
+1
a
1
1
= a
1
+ 1 +
2
a
1
1
.
Therefore, we must have a
1
1|2 or a
1
= 2, 3. In both of these cases, we get
k =
2
2
+1
21
=
3
2
+1
31
= 5. In both cases we have proved k = 5 hence we are done
.
5
2 Exercise
Use the methods we used above to solve these problems. If you cant nd
solutions then we provide links to solutions.
Problem 1. If a, b, c are positive integers such that 0 < a
2
+ b
2
abc c
show that a
2
+ b
2
abc is a perfect square.
[Problems of Elementary Number Theory)(Crux)]
Problem 2. Let a and b be positive integers such that ab +1 divides a
2
+b
2
.
Prove that
a
2
+b
2
ab+1
is a perfect square.
[IMO 1988]
6
References
[1] http://projectpen.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/
pen-vol-i-no-1.pdf (page 26 has solution to exercise 1)
[2] Art of Problem Solving 2012-2013 WOOT Diophantine Equations Hand-
out
[3] http://blogs.sch.gr/sotskot/files/2011/01/Vieta_Jumping.pdf
(page 1 has solution to exercise 2)
7