Solution to Problem 220


Correct solutions were submitted by Dan Dima, Al Zimmermann, Jens Voβ, Ahron Teitelman, Juan Carlos Marivela, Lou Cairoli.


The polynomial yields an integer if and only if r is an integer or of the form (9k - 1)/3.

Write r = p/q, with p and q relatively prime.  Substituting, we get the integer 3(p3/q3) + 10(p2/q2) - 3(p/q).  Putting everything over a common denominator, we conclude that q3 divides N = 3p3 + 10p2q - 3pq2 and then q divides N, too.  Since q divides the last two summands of N it must divide the first, too.  As p and q are relatively prime, q must divide 3; it follows that either q = 1, and r is itself an integer; or q = 3.  In the latter case 

27 divides  3p3 + 30p2 - 27p if and only if 
9 divides  p3 + 10p2 - 9p if and only if
9 divides  p3 + 10p2  if and only if
9 divides  p2(p + 10).

Since p is not divisible by 3, 9 can't divide p2, and so must divide  p + 10, and  p + 1.  Write p = 9k - 1, for some integer k, then r = (9k - 1)/3. It's now easy to show what any fraction of this form yields an integer when substituted into the original equation.   

 

 

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