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Suppose a and b are integers. How many solutions are there to the equation ab = 2a + 3b?

User Nii Laryea
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5 votes
Try this for example:
Suppose a, b, m are integers such that a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1. Then a ≤ 3m and b ≤ 2m. Therefore 2a ≤ 6m and 3b ≤ 6m. Adding these inequalities, 2a + 3b ≤ 12m. It follows that 2a + 3b < 12m + 1. We assumed a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1, and deduced 2a + 3b < 12m + 1. This proves the contrapositive: If 2a + 3b ≥ 12m + 1, then a ≥ 3m + 1 or b ≥ 2m + 1. Remarks. This is not true for a, b, m real numbers instead of integers. For example, take m = 0, a = 1/2, b = 1/3. Then 2a + 3b = 2 and 12m + 1 = 1, so 2a + 3b ≥ 12m + 1, yet a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1. So the hypothesis that a, b, m are integers can not be ignored. Also note that the negation of “a ≥ 3m + 1 or b ≥ 2m + 1” is “a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1”. The original conclusion (a ≥ 3m+1 or b ≥ 2m+1) is true if either condition is true, or both; it is false if both conditions are false, i.e., a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1. Here is a different way to understand it. Assume that it is NOT true that a ≥ 3m + 1 or b ≥ 2m + 1. In other words we are assuming NOT(a ≥ 3m + 1 or b ≥ 2m + 1). Then neither one of them can be true, so both a < 3m + 1 and b < 2m + 1.
I hope this helps you. This example will help your algebra.
User Heber
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8.4k points
3 votes
Hello,
We are thinking on integers.
ab=2a+3b
ab-2a=3b
a(b-2)=3b
2 cases:
1) a=3 and b-2=b==>0=2 : impossible
2) a=b and b-2=3==>a=b=5 : 5*5=2*5+3*5


User Mukund Kumar
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8.0k points

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