A problem in Pythagorean arithmetic

DOI10.1215/00294527-2017-0028MaRDI QIDQ1750297zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Victor V. Pambuccian

Publication date 18 May 2018

Published in Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.01645

zbMATH Keywords

fragments of arithmeticlogicmathematical Olympiadnumber theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Foundations of classical theories (including reverse mathematics) (03B30) Models of arithmetic and set theory (03C62) Elementary number theory (11A99) Model theory (number-theoretic aspects) (11U09)

Abstract: Problem 2 at the 56th International Mathematical Olympiad (2015) asks for all triples (a,b,c) of positive integers for which ab-c, bc-a, and ca-b are all powers of 2. We show that this problem requires only a primitive form of arithmetic, going back to the Pythagoreans, which is the arithmetic of the even and the odd.

Review text

The paper under review can be considered as a contribution to reverse mathematics, taken in a broad sense. The statement investigated is a problem from the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), namely that all triples \((a,b,c)\in\mathbb{N}^{3}\) such that \(ab-c\), \(bc-a\) and \(ca-b\) are all powers of \(2\) are permutations of one of the triples \((2,2,2)\), \((2,2,3)\), \((2,6,11)\) and \((3,5,7)\). It is pointed out that, according to the standards of mathematical Olympiads, the problem needs to be solvable by ``elementary means, a claim that the paper investigates with the tools of mathematical logic. In a first step, a subtheory of Peano arithmetic, named Pythagorean arithmetic, is given and it is argued that it captures arithmetic as done by the first of the ancient Greek mathematicians; thus, Pythagorean arithmetic arguably represents ``elementary means in a rather strong sense. Then, it is demonstrated that the problem in question is solvable in Pythagorean arithmetic. Finally, a model is constructed to show that natural fragments of Pythagorean arithmetic do not suffice for this task. As the relevant subtheories are very weak, the model can be and is given very explictly. The paper is accessible to anyone with some background in elementary number theory and algebra.

Recommendations

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 480301
• Another arithmetic of the even and the odd
• Pythagorean ratios in arithmetic progression, part i. three Pythagorean ratios
• On Pythagorean triples and the primitive roots modulo a prime
• Some relations among Pythagorean triples

Cites work

• Addenda et corrigenda to: ``The arithmetic of the even and the odd
• Another arithmetic of the even and the odd
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 51556 (Why is no real title available?)
• THE ARITHMETIC OF THE EVEN AND THE ODD

Cited in

(3)

• Pythagorean triples
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6131625 (Why is no real title available?)
• Another arithmetic of the even and the odd

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