3

I want to find by hand a $4$ digit number $N=abcd$ such that $(a+b+c+d)(a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2)^2 = N$.
Here is my work so far :
Let $S = a+b+c+d$ and $X = a^2 + b^2+c^2+d^2$ (so $N = SX^2$),
I searched for inequalities :

  • $S^2\le 4X$ with cauchy schwarz inequality
  • $N^2 \le X \times \sum_{0 \le i \le 3} (10^i)^2$ with cauchy schwarz inequality or simply $N^2\le 1010101X$
  • $X \le S^2$
  • $1000\le N\le 9999$

We get with the first $3$ inequalities : $X^2\sqrt{X}\le N\le \min{(2X^2\sqrt{X}, \sqrt{1010101X})}$
But this inequality is true iff : $X\le \lfloor (1010101)^{1/4}\rfloor \iff X \le 31$
(Also, $2X^2\sqrt{X} \le \sqrt{1010101X} \iff X\le 22$)

In order to have the fourth inequality true, we need to have :

  • $1000\le \min{\left(2X^2\sqrt{X}, \sqrt{1010101X}\right)} \iff 13 \le X$
  • $X^2\sqrt{X}\le 9999 \iff X \le 39$

So, we have :

  • $13 \le X\le 31$
  • $1000 \le N \le 5595$
  • $4\le S\le 11$ using the $1$st and $3$rd inequality

After that, I am stuck. Do you have any idea to find such number ?

Surge
  • 824
  • Have you considered divisibility criteria? – Surge Jan 04 '24 at 23:57
  • @Surge I tried but I didn't find anything. I always have to search for too much values satisfying a specific divisibility criteria. – Jotadiolyne Dicci Jan 05 '24 at 00:01
  • 1
    For the maximal digit $x$, you have $x^5<9999$ so $x\leq 6$, which reduces the search space for $6<S<12.$ If there is no zero in the representation, then you even have: $$(x+3)(x^2+3)^2<9999$$, so you cannot have $x= 6.$ At this point, I personally would be satisfied with hand-searching which won't take more than like 10-15 mins. – dezdichado Jan 05 '24 at 00:32
  • @dezdichado I didn't think of the maximal digit. That is nice idea for finding a nice inequality ! Thanks ! – Jotadiolyne Dicci Jan 05 '24 at 00:40
  • Can you elaborate on how you got $ X \leq 31 = \lfloor ( 1010101)^{1/4} \rfloor $? – Calvin Lin Jan 05 '24 at 00:54
  • @CalvinLin I searched for tens numbers and then powered to $4$. Like $31^4 = 923521$ and $32^4 = 1048576$. – Jotadiolyne Dicci Jan 05 '24 at 00:58
  • Hint: I think this was last year's puzzle. – Robert Israel Jan 05 '24 at 01:25

1 Answers1

1

Let $a$, $b$, $c$ and $d$ be integers with $0\leq a,b,c,d\leq 9$ and $a\neq0$, such that $$(a+b+c+d)(a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2)^2=10^3a+10^2b+10c+d.$$ For brevity, I'll use your notation $N=SX^2$, where \begin{eqnarray} S&=&a+b+c+d,\\ X&=&a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2,\\ N&=&10^3a+10^2b+10c+d. \end{eqnarray}

Observation 1: We have $a,b,c,d\leq5$ and $\min\{a,b,c,d\}\leq2$.

Proof. For $m:=\min\{a,b,c,d\}$ we have $S\geq4m$ and $X\geq4m^2$ and so $$9999\geq N=SX^2\geq(4m)(4m^2)^2=64m^5,$$ from which it follows that $m\leq2$, so $N\leq9992$. Similarly, for $n:=\max\{a,b,c,d\}$ we have $$9992\geq N=SX^2>(n)(n^2)^2=n^5,$$ from which it follows that $n\leq6$. But then $N\leq6662$ and so as before $$6662\geq N=SX^2>(n)(n^2)^2=n^5,$$ from which it follows that $n\leq 5$. That is to say $0\leq a,b,c,d\leq5$ and $a\neq0$ and $\min\{a,b,c,d\}\leq2$. $\square$

Note that if $a\leq2$ then $N\leq2555$ and then the same argument shows that $n\leq4$.

Observation 2: We have $X\leq31$.

Proof. You have already found by repeated use of Cauchy-Schwarz that $$S^2\leq 4X,\qquad N^2\leq 1010101X,\qquad X\leq S^2.$$ from which it follows that $$X^5\leq S^2X^4=N^2\leq1010101X,$$ and hence that $X\leq31$. $\square$

This means that at most one of $a$, $b$, $c$ and $d$ is greater than $3$.

Observation 3: We have $a,b,c,d\leq4$.

Proof. If one of $a$, $b$, $c$ or $d$ equals $5$, then the others are no greater than $2$ because $X\leq31$. We already noted that if $a\leq2$ then $b,c,d\leq4$, a contradiction, so we must have $a=5$ and $b,c,d\leq2$. If one of them equals $2$ then $$SX^2\geq(5+2+0+0)(5^2+2^2+0^2+0^2)^2=5887,$$ a contradiction, so $b,c,d\leq1$. Then $S=5+k$ and $X=25+k$ where $k=b+c+d$, and so $$5000\leq(5+k)(25+k)^2\leq5111,$$ implies that $k=2$ yielding $N=SX=5103$, a contradiction. $\square$

Observation 4: We have $X\not\equiv0\pmod{3}$.

Proof. Suppose toward a contradiction that $X\equiv0\pmod{3}$. Then the identity $$9(111a+11b+c)=N-S=SX^2-S=S(X+1)(X-1),$$ shows that $S\equiv0\pmod{9}$. By observation 3 we have $1\leq S\leq16$ and so $S=9$. Then up to permutation $(a,b,c,d)$ is one of the following tuples (keeping in mind that $X\equiv0\pmod{3}$): $$(4,3,1,1),\qquad(3,3,3,0),\qquad(3,2,2,2).$$ But the corresponding values of $N$ are \begin{eqnarray} N&=&SX^2&=&(4+3+1+1)(4^2+3^2+1^2+1^2)^2&=&6561,\\ N&=&SX^2&=&(3+3+3+0)(3^2+3^2+3^2+0^2)^2&=&6561,\\ N&=&SX^2&=&(3+2+2+2)(3^2+2^2+2^2+2^2)^2&=&3969,\\ \end{eqnarray} so these are not solutions. We conclude that $X\not\equiv0\pmod{3}$.$\square$

Observation 5: We have $a,b,c,d\leq3$ unless $N=2400$.

Proof. Order the digits from largest to smallest as $t\geq u\geq v\geq w$. Suppose that $t=4$. Then $X\leq31$ implies that $u\leq3$, and so $N\leq4300$. If $u=3$ or $u=v=2$ then \begin{eqnarray} N&=&SX^2\geq(4+3+0+0)(4^2+3^2+0^2+0^2)^2=4375,\\ N&=&SX^2\geq(4+2+2+0)(4^2+2^2+2^2+0^2)^2=4608, \end{eqnarray} both of which are impossible. Then $u\leq 2$ and $v,w\leq1$ and so $$N=SX^2\leq(4+2+1+1)(4^2+2^2+1^2+1^2)=3872,$$ from which it follows that $N\leq2411$. On the other hand $u>0$ and so $$N=SX^2\geq(4+1+0+0)(4^2+1^2+0^2+0^2)^2=1445,$$ from which it follows that $N\geq2004$, and so $u=2$. Keeping in mind that $X\not\equiv0\pmod{3}$ we find that either $v=w=0$ or $v=w=1$. A quick check shows that \begin{eqnarray} (2+4+1+1)(2^2+4^2+1^2+1^2)^2=3872,\\ (2+4+0+0)(2^2+4^2+0^2+0^2)^2=2400, \end{eqnarray} yielding the solution $N=2400$ as the only solution without $a,b,c,d\leq3$.$\square$

Servaes
  • 63,261
  • 7
  • 75
  • 163