OFFSET
0,2
COMMENTS
This sequence is inspired by the 4th problem proposed during the second day of the final round of the 18th Austrian Mathematical Olympiad in 1987. The problem asked to find all triples solutions (x, y, z) only for n = 1987 (see Link, Reference and last example).
Some properties:
-> Inequalities, 0 <= x, y <= n; 0 <= z <= floor(n*sqrt(2)/2)
-> z is even and (x,y) are not together even.
-> a(n) = 1 iff n = 0, and the only solution is (0,0,0).
-> for n >= 1, a(n) >= 2 because (0,n,0) and (n,0,0) are always solutions.
-> a(n) is even for n >= 1.
-> If n = 3k, then (k,2k,2k) and (2k,k,2k) are solutions.
-> If 2*(n-1) = m^2, then (1,n-1,m) and (n-1,1,m) are solutions (with n in A058331).
-> The formula for n>0 comes from (x+y=n and 2*x*y=z^2) <==> n^2 = |x-y|^2 + 2*z^2.
REFERENCES
Steve Dinh, The Hard Mathematical Olympiad Problems And Their Solutions, AuthorHouse, 2011, Problem 4 of Austrian Mathematical Olympiad 1987, page 29 [Warning: solution proposed in this book has a mistake with (x, y, z) = ([0, 1987], 1987-x, sqrt(2xy))].
LINKS
The IMO compendium, Problem 4, 18th Austrian Mathematical Olympiad, 1987.
FORMULA
EXAMPLE
a(9) = 6 and these 6 solutions are: (0, 9, 0), (1, 8, 4), (3, 6, 6), (6, 3, 6), (8, 1, 4), (9, 0, 0).
a(1987) = 4 and these 4 solutions are: (0, 1987, 0), (529, 1458, 1242), (1458, 529, 1242), (1987, 0, 0); this is the answer to the Olympiad problem in link.
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn
AUTHOR
Bernard Schott, Dec 02 2020
STATUS
approved