Diophantine equations

  • Upsetting Pitagoras
    problem

    Upsetting Pythagoras

    Age
    14 to 18
    Challenge level
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    Find the smallest integer solution to the equation 1/x^2 + 1/y^2 = 1/z^2

  • Shades of Fermat's Last Theorem
    problem

    Shades of Fermat's Last Theorem

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star

    The familiar Pythagorean 3-4-5 triple gives one solution to (x-1)^n + x^n = (x+1)^n so what about other solutions for x an integer and n= 2, 3, 4 or 5?

  • Euclid's Algorithm II
    article

    Euclid's algorithm II

    We continue the discussion given in Euclid's Algorithm I, and here we shall discover when an equation of the form ax+by=c has no solutions, and when it has infinitely many solutions.

  • Euclid's Algorithm I
    article

    Euclid's algorithm I

    How can we solve equations like 13x + 29y = 42 or 2x +4y = 13 with the solutions x and y being integers? Read this article to find out.

  • Why stop at Three by One
    article

    Why stop at three by one

    Beautiful mathematics. Two 18 year old students gave eight different proofs of one result then generalised it from the 3 by 1 case to the n by 1 case and proved the general result.