The precent ages in years of two brothers $A$ and $B$,and their father $C$ are three distinct positive integers $a ,b$ and $c$ respectively .Suppose $\frac{b-1}{a-1}$ and $\frac{b+1}{a+1}$ are two consecutive integers , and $\frac{c-1}{b-1}$ and $\frac{c+1}{b+1}$ are two consecutive integers . If $a+b+c\le 150$ , determine $a,b$ and $c$.
Problem
Source: Oct 23,2016
Tags: number theory
RagvaloD
25.10.2016 10:27
$\frac{b-1}{a-1}=\frac{b+1}{a+1}+1$ $(b-1)(a+1)=(a-1)(a+b+2)$ $ab-a+b-1=a^2+ab+2a-a-b-2$ $a^2+2a+1=2b+2$ $(a+1)^2=2(b+1)$ ,so $2| a+1$ Similar we get $(b+1)^2=2(c+1)$ or $(a+1)^4=8(c+1)$ $8*150+24 \geq 8(a+1)+8(b+1)+8(c+1)=8(a+1)+4(a+1)^2+(a+1)^4$ $(a+1)^4+4(a+1)^2+8(a+1) \leq 1224 \to a+1 < 6 $ Case 1: $a+1=2 \to b+1=2$ - contradiction Case 2: $a+1=4 \to b+1=8 \to c+1=32$ $(a,b,c)=(3,7,31)$
vasudevkrishna
30.09.2019 18:29
How did u assume that b>a
meet18
30.09.2019 18:47
Because$\frac{b-1}{a-1}$ is integer
vasudevkrishna
30.09.2019 18:52
Oops sorry