10 Chapter 2

Therefore
1 √ √
√ √ = 2− 1
1+ 2
1 √ √
√ √ = 3− 2
2+ 3
1 √ √
√ √ = 4− 3
3+ 4
.. .. ..
. . .
1 √ √
√ √ = 100 − 99,
99 + 100
and thus
1 1 1 1 √ √
√ √ +√ √ +√ √ + ···+ √ √ = 100 − 1 = 9.
1+ 2 2+ 3 3+ 4 99 + 100
Using the difference of squares identity,

x4 + x2 y2 + y4 = x4 + 2x2 y2 + y4 − x2 y2
= (x2 + y2 )2 − (xy)2
= (x2 − xy + y2)(x2 + xy + y2).

The following factorisation is credited to Sophie Germain.

a4 + 4b4 = a4 + 4a2 b2 + 4b4 − 4a2b2

= (a2 + 2b2)2 − (2ab)2
= (a2 − 2ab + 2b2)(a2 + 2ab + 2b2)

62 Example Prove that n4 + 4 is a prime only when n = 1 for n ∈ N.

Solution: Using Sophie Germain’s trick,

n4 + 4 = n4 + 4n2 + 4 − 4n2
= (n2 + 2)2 − (2n)2
= (n2 + 2 − 2n)(n2 + 2 + 2n)
= ((n − 1)2 + 1)((n + 1)2 + 1).

Each factor is greater than 1 for n > 1, and so n4 + 4 cannot be a prime if n > 1.

63 Example Shew that the product of four consecutive integers, none of them 0, is never a perfect square.

Solution: Let n − 1, n, n + 1, n + 2 be four consecutive integers. Then their product P is

P = (n − 1)n(n + 1)(n + 2) = (n3 − n)(n + 2) = n4 + 2n3 − n2 − 2n.

But
(n2 + n − 1)2 = n4 + 2n3 − n2 − 2n + 1 = P + 1 > P.
As P 6= 0 and P is 1 more than a square, P cannot be a square.

64 Example Find infinitely many pairs of integers (m, n) such that m and n share their prime factors and (m − 1, n − 1) share
their prime factors.