# Competition Diophantine Equation

I am looking for the number of integer solutions to this system of equations

$$a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=2500$$ and

$$(a+50)(b+50)=cd$$

I tried moving terms around in the first equation and using the difference of two squares to try and gain some information, but came up empty. I was wondering what the best way to attack this problem is. Should I take the equations mod something, or should I try and place some bounds on the variables and try to derive the number of solutions from that? I ask that y'all only give me hints. Thanks

• Hence you are entitled your question as "Competition Diophantine Equation" I want you to clarify something: Are we talking about and ongoing competition or is this task from a former year? – mrtaurho Sep 28 '18 at 18:05
• This problem is from a previous AMATYC, a math competition for two year colleges. – L. Tim Sep 28 '18 at 19:15

Hint: Use the fact $$2cd\leq c^2+d^2$$

and replace $$cd$$ and $$c^2+d^2$$ with a given constrains.

Note that \eqalign{(c-d)^2 &= c^2 + d^2 - 2 c d \cr &= 2500 - a^2 - b^2 - 2 (a+50)(b+50)\cr &= -(a+b+50)^2\cr} Since a square must be nonnegative, we must have $$c=d$$ and $$a+b=-50$$. The second equation then becomes $$a^2 + 50 a + c^2 = 0$$. After completing the square, we see that solutions are related to the Gaussian integer factorization of $$625$$.

• This is a hint? – Aqua Sep 28 '18 at 20:15
• Sorry, got carried away. – Robert Israel Sep 28 '18 at 20:17

It is well known that by setting $$r_4(n) = \left|\{(a,b,c,d)\in\mathbb{Z}^4: a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=n\}\right|$$ we have $$r_4(n) = 8\sum_{\substack{d\mid n\\ 4\nmid d}}d$$ for instance through Jacobi's triple product. In particular the number of ways for writing $$n$$ as a sum of four squares is a constant multiple of a multiplicative function, which only depends on the factorization of $$n$$. Since $$2500 = 2^2\cdot 5^4$$ we have $$\begin{eqnarray*} r_4(2500) &=& 8\left(1+5+5^2+5^3+5^4+2+2\cdot 5+2\cdot 5^2+2\cdot 5^3+2\cdot 5^4\right)\\&=&8\cdot 3\cdot\frac{5^5-1}{5-1}=6\cdot(5^5-1)=\color{red}{18744}.\end{eqnarray*}$$ In the given problem we have an extra constraint, and it is a heavy one, since it leads to $$2500 = a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2 = cd-ab-50(a+b),$$ $$(a^2+ab+b^2)+50(a+b)+(c^2-cd+d^2) = 0,$$ and by setting $$a=\frac{A-50}{3},b=\frac{B-50}{3}$$ we get $$(A^2+AB+B^2)+9(c^2-cd+d^2) = 7500,\quad A\equiv B\equiv 2\pmod{3}$$ which clearly has a finite number of solutions, since both $$x^2\pm xy+y^2$$ and $$x^2+9y^2$$ are positive definite quadratic forms. The integers represented by $$x^2\pm xy+y^2$$ are the ones given by a product of primes of the form $$3k+1$$ and squares of primes of the form $$3k+2$$. For a brute-force approach, one may simply list all the solutions of the above equation, then check which ones meet $$a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=2500$$.

• Might writing $a^2\pm ab + b^2 = \frac12(a^2\pm 2ab+b^2+a^2+b^2)=\frac12((a\pm b)^2+a^2+b^2)$ help? – marty cohen Sep 28 '18 at 20:49

Above system of equations is shown below:

$$a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=2500$$

$$(a+50)(b+50)=cd$$

The numerical integer solution to the above is given below:

$$(a,b,c,d)=(-25,-25,-25,-25)$$

I solve Robert Israel's equation. This lead pytagorean equation.

$$(a+50)^2+c^2=25^2$$

famous examples $$3^2+4^2=5^2$$,$$7^2+24^2=25^2$$,and trivial one $$0^2+25^2=25^2$$ are solutions. Final answers is $$(a,b,c,d)=(-5,-45,±15,±15)(-10,-40,±15,±15)(-18,-32,±24,±24)(-1,-49,±7,±7)(0,-50,0,0)(-50,0,0,0)$$