Minimize $152207x-81103y$ over the positive integers.

Question

Minimize the expression $152207x-81103y$ over the positive integers, given $x,y\in\mathbb{Z}.$

So the book takes me through modular arithmetic and how to find $\text{gcd}(a,b)$ in order to solve diophantine equations. Then this question pops up in the same chapter.

I know how calculate using modular arithmetic, I know how to find $\text{gcd}(a,b)$ and solve diophantine equations but I don't know how to bunch them up together in order to solve this.

How should I think?

Answer 1

Since $\gcd (152207,81103)=1111$ it is the same as minimum of $$1111(137x-73y)$$

Since $137x-73y=1$ is solvable (say $x=8$ and $y=15$) the answer is $1111$.

Answer 2

Note $c=ax+by$ has integer solution if and only if $gcd(a,b)|c$ and if this exists then infinite no of integer solutions can be obtained from 1 solution by

$x=x_{0}+\frac{b}{d}k$ and $y=y_{0}-\frac{a}{d}k$

where $d$ is the gcd. And $x_{0},y_{0}$ are one solution which can be obtained from euclid's algorithm. (As will jagy has mentioned)

And also the defination of $gcd(a,b)$ is least positive value of the $ax+by=d$ where $x,y$ any integer.

Answer 3

$$ \gcd( 152207, 81103 ) = ??? $$

$$ \frac{ 152207 }{ 81103 } = 1 + \frac{ 71104 }{ 81103 } $$ $$ \frac{ 81103 }{ 71104 } = 1 + \frac{ 9999 }{ 71104 } $$ $$ \frac{ 71104 }{ 9999 } = 7 + \frac{ 1111 }{ 9999 } $$ $$ \frac{ 9999 }{ 1111 } = 9 + \frac{ 0 }{ 1111 } $$ Simple continued fraction tableau:
$$ \begin{array}{cccccccccc} & & 1 & & 1 & & 7 & & 9 & \\ \frac{ 0 }{ 1 } & \frac{ 1 }{ 0 } & & \frac{ 1 }{ 1 } & & \frac{ 2 }{ 1 } & & \frac{ 15 }{ 8 } & & \frac{ 137 }{ 73 } \end{array} $$ $$ $$ $$ 137 \cdot 8 - 73 \cdot 15 = 1 $$

$$ \gcd( 152207, 81103 ) = 1111 $$
$$ 152207 \cdot 8 - 81103 \cdot 15 = 1111 $$

Answer 4

Other people have have answered. But the thing to take away from this is the idea of Bezout's Lemma (sometimes known as Bezout's Identity).

If $M,N$ are integers with greatest common divisor $\gcd(M,N)$ then there will exist integers $a,b$ so that $Ma + Nb = \gcd(M,N)$.

Another way of putting this is

If $j,k$ are relatively prime integers, then there will exist integers $a,b$ so that $ja + kb = 1$.

If we note that $\gcd(M,N)|M$ and $\gcd(M,N)$ then $\gcd(M,N)|Ma + Nb$ for any integers $a,b$ which leads to a third way of putting this

(Version 3) If $M,N$ are integers then:

1. For any integers $a,b$ the $Ma + Nb$ will be a multiple of $\gcd(M,N)$.

2. Integers $c,d$ exist so that $Mc + Nd = \gcd(M,N)$.

and therefore

3. For any multiple of $\gcd(M,N)$, say $k\gcd(M,N)$ for some integer $k$, then integers $a,b$ exists so that $Ma + Nb = k\gcd(M,N)$. (Just let $a = kc; b=kd$ where $c,d$ are as in 2. above.)

And this answers your question.

1. $152207x−81103y$ will always be a multiple of $\gcd(152207, 81103) = 1111$

2. $152207x - 81103y = 1111$ will be possible.

And as the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of $1111$ is $1111$, the smallest positive value of $152207x -88103y$ is $1111$.

Notice, we don't have to actually find the values that make this true. It's enough to know it can be done!

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Addendum:

1) Note: I never said and never implied that any of those integer pairs were unique.

$Ma + Nb = k\gcd(M,N)$ will actually have an infinite number of solutions.

Notice $M(a \pm w\frac N{\gcd(M,N}) + N(b \mp w\frac M{\gcd(M,N)}) = Ma + Nb = k\gcd(M,N)$ will always be a solution. But all solutions will be is such a form.

2) To actually find a solution

$152207x -88103y =1111$ we can use Euclid Algorithm

$152207 = 81103 + 71104; 71104 = 152207 - 81103$

$81103 = 71104 + 9999; 9999 = 81103 - 71104 = 81103 -(152207-81103) = 2*81103-152207$

$71104 = 7*9999 + 1111; 1111 = 71104 - 7*9999=(152207 - 81103)-7(2*81103-152207)=8*152207- 15*81103$

$9999 = 9*1111 + 0$ thats as far as we can go.

So for $x = 8; y = -15$ we get $152207x+81103y = \gcd(152207, 81103)$.