Online Course Discussion Forum

MC-IIB Number Theory 8.21, 8.23

 
 
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MC-IIB Number Theory 8.21, 8.23
by Daniel Zhang - Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 9:35 AM
 

For 8.21, how would I systematically find all the triples? I know they have to be of the form m^2-n^2, 2mn, m^2+n^2 where m>n, but would I have to use trial and error for all possible values? Also, how would I solve 8.23?

 
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Re: MC-IIB Number Theory 8.21, 8.23
by John Lensmire - Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 10:28 AM
 

Hint for 8.21: Since we know c is less than 50 we actually have a decent bound for the values of m and n. For example, we know for sure m is at most 7. It's not too hard to list out from here. There are actually not too many triples.

Hint for 8.23: Start by making sure Example 8.3 makes sense (even just fully understanding the statement, the proof isn't needed for 8.23). Note this gives a restriction on what M can be. Hint for the rest: what are some the the smallest Pythagorean triples? With reference to Example 8.3 your answer with work can actually be very short for 8.23.