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A question on unit fractions 1/2+1/n = 1/x+1/y?
When adding 1/2 and another unit fraction it might be possible to obtain the same sum by adding two other unit fractions:
1/2+1/12=1/3+1/4
and
1/2+1/30=1/3+1/5
Is it possible to generate all solutions, ie. triples (n,x,y) of positive integers satisfying the equation 1/2+1/n = 1/x+1/y?
1 Answer
- az_lenderLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
Interesting. We will acknowledge an infinitude of solutions (k,2,k), which are trivial.
Apart from that, I'm about to prove that you have already found ALL the solutions!
Let's then try to generate all solutions of the form (n,3,m), of which you already have two.
We require 1/m - 1/n = 1/6, so 1/m > 1/6 and you have apparently exhausted those.
Next let's go to solutions of the form (n,4,m);
we require 1/m - 1/n = 1/4, so 1/m > 1/4, but you've already exhausted that in your
slightly permuted solution (12,3,4).
Next, solutions of the form (n,5,m);
we require 1/m - 1/n = 3/10, so 1/m > 3/10 and can only be 1/3, already exhausted in your
slightly permuted solution (30,3,5).
Next, solutions of the form (n,6,m):
we require 1/m - 1/n = 1/3, so 1/m > 1/3, none available except 1/2.
Next, solutions of the form (n,7,m);
we require 1/m - 1/n = 5/14, so 1/m > 5/14, none available except 1/2.
Whenever that middle integer of the triple is greater than 6,
1/m - 1/n will be required to be greater than 1/3, so 1/m > 1/3,
and none will be available except 1/2.
You can now see that there are in fact NO solutions that differ in substance from
those that you've already given (except the trivial ones where m=n).