Upsetting Pythagoras
Find the smallest integer solution to the equation 1/x^2 + 1/y^2 = 1/z^2
Problem
Find the smallest integer solution to the following equation:
Getting Started
Take a cue from the title!
Can you in any way use $a$, $b$ and $c$ where you know $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$?
No knowledge is needed here, only mathematical reasoning. It is an important point to make that finding a method for producing solutions does not prove that there is no other method and no smaller solution generated another way. However, once you have found what you believe to be the smallest solution, it is possible to check numerically that there are in fact no smaller solutions.
Student Solutions
"Hello. I'm Kim Jinhyuna from Kingston-Grammar School. I would like to inform you that I have worked out the question 'Upsetting Pitagoras'. The mathematical problem has an infinite number of solutions. Let $x=1$ and $y=2$. Then
You can also use Pythagorean Triples to find the smallest integer solution to the equation:
If $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$ then