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How to solve this: Is $(1782^{12}+1841^{12})^{1/12}$ an integer? Should I reexpress $1841$ in terms of $1782$, as such: $1782 = x$, and $1841 = x+59$? I can't make any progress. Please help.

mvw
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2 Answers2

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According to Fermat's last theorem, there are no solutions for $$c^n = a^n + b^n$$ when a, b, and c are integers and n is an integer greater than 2. If $$\sqrt[12]{(1782^{12}+1841^{12})} = c$$ for some integer c, that would imply that $$1782^{12}+1841^{12} = c^{12}$$ which we know is impossible.

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Fermat's Last Theorem works works, but so do more elementary approaches.

We have $1782^{12}=(1782^3)^4$ which by Fermat's Little Theorem is $\equiv 1 \bmod 5$. Likewise for $1241^{12}$. Then a proposed integer $c$ such that $c^{12}=1782^{12}+1241^{12}$ would imply that $c^{12}=(c^3)^4\equiv 2 \bmod 5$, which is contradicted by Fermat's Little Theorem.

Oscar Lanzi
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