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Which of the numbers 4370, 1885, 3185 can be a hypothenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple?

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Final answer:

To determine if a number can be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple, we need to check if it can be expressed as the square of an integer. None of the given numbers can be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple.

Step-by-step explanation:

A primitive Pythagorean triple consists of three positive integers a, b, and c, such that a^2 + b^2 = c^2 and gcd(a, b, c) = 1. To determine if a number can be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple, we need to check if it can be expressed as the square of an integer. Let's check the given numbers:

  • For 4370, we calculate its square root (√4370 ≈ 66.12), which is not an integer. So, 4370 cannot be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple.
  • For 1885, we calculate its square root (√1885 ≈ 43.43), which is not an integer. So, 1885 cannot be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple.
  • For 3185, we calculate its square root (√3185 ≈ 56.46), which is not an integer. So, 3185 cannot be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple.

None of the given numbers can be a hypotenuse in a primitive Pythagorean triple.

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