05-01-12 Diophantine eqn.

Find all positive integers x and y satisfying the equation
3^x-2^y=7

8 Answers

71
Vivek @ Born this Way ·

Don't know about others but trivial one is x = 2, y = 1

21
Shubhodip ·

Yes Vivek, that is the only solution. But please prove it.

1
rishabh ·

7+2y = 3x
taking mod 9 (for x ≥ 2) we can see that (2,1) is the only solution.

1
rishabh ·

sorry thats wrong. see this,

suppose y≥2 , taking mod taking mod 4 gives x is odd and taking mod 3 gives y is even.
note that 3(x+12)2 = 3(2y)mod7 but (3/7)(2/7)^y =-1 is a quadratic residue mod7 but 3 is not . hence x=2 y=1.

21
Arnab Kundu ·

Rishav please elaborate your solution

1
rishabh ·

do yo agree with me that if y≥2 then x is 2k-1?
is so then, in mod 7 we have 32k ≡ 3.2y

in mod 7 we have 2≡32 so 32k ≡ to 3.32y so 3≡ (3k3y)2
but 3 is non quadratic residue mod7 i.e. 37 = -1 , it means that there is no a such that 3≡a2. so we arrive at desired contradiction when y>1

1
rishabh ·

oh i forgot to ask, i hope you know about Legendre symbols.
and theres a typo in my post #5 i meant y is also odd.

11
Devil ·

If y≥3 then 2y+7≡7(mod8) But 3x≡1,3(mod8), thus inconsistent, so y≤2...Verifying with y=1,2 we arrive at the unique soln (2,1)

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