4

Consider positive coprime integers $A$ and $B$ with $A+B=C$. The triple $(A,B,C)$ is called an ABC-triple if the radical of the product $ABC$ is smaller then $C$. The radical of a positive integer $n$, denoted $\operatorname{rad}(n)$, is the product of the distinct prime factors of $n$. For instance $\operatorname{rad}(20)=2.5=10$. The smallest ABC-triple is $(1,8,9)$ as $\operatorname{rad}(1.8.9)=6<9$.

There is a database with all ABC-triples with $C<10^{18}$. I noticed that the product $A*B*C$ is unique, but can we prove it?

If the hypothesis is true, we can use it to split the Dirichlet series

$$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\operatorname{rad}(n)^t}{n^s}=\prod_{p,prime}{(1+\frac{p^t}{p^s-1})}$$

into two disjunct sets with $n=A*B*C$ and $n \ne A*B*C$.

Note that the ABC-triples $(128,3645,3773)$ and $(648,3125,3773)$ have the same radical as $\operatorname{rad}(ABC)=2.3.5.7.11$. Hence a split of the summand using $\operatorname{rad}(ABC)$ does not work.

I can only conclude the following. Assume that we would have $A_1*B_1*C_1=A_2*B_2*C_2$ for two different ABC-triples, then $A_1 \ne A_2$, $B_1 \ne B_2$ and $C_1 \ne C_2$.

Reasoning. Because if $C_1=C_2$ then we can assume without loss of generality that $A_1 < A_2$. This implies $A_2B_2>A_1B_1$ hence $A_2B_2C_2>A_1B_1C_1$ which is which is contrary to the assumption. We conclude that $C_1 \ne C_2$.
Now suppose $A_1=A_2$. We can assume without loss of generality that $C_1 < C_2$ which implies that $B_1=C_1-A_1 < C_2-A_2=B_2$. This leads to $A_1*B_1<A_2*B_2$ and $A_1*B_1*C_1<A_2*B_2*C_2$ which is also contrary to the assumption. Hence $A_1 \ne A_2$. By symmetry in $A$ and $B$ we conclude $B_1 \ne B_2$.

Rolandb
  • 445
  • Can you explain why you can say "This implies $A_2B_2\gt A_1B_1$"? – mathlove May 31 '19 at 13:14
  • @mathlove Write $(A,B,C)$ as $(A,A+t,2A+t)$ with $t>0$. Then $A=\frac{C-t}{2}$ and hence $AB=\frac{C-t}{2}\frac{C+t}{2}=\frac{1}{4}(C^2-t^2)$. Now $t_2<t_1$ as $A_1<A_2$ and therefor $A_2B_2=\frac{1}{4}(C_2^2-t_2^2) > \frac{1}{4}(C_1^2-t_1^2)=A_1B_1$. – Rolandb May 31 '19 at 19:15

0 Answers0