When $\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)} = \frac{(\lambda^2+\xi^2)^2}{(\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi)^2}$ is an integer

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I'm working on the function $\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)}$, defined as follows: $$\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)} = \frac{(\lambda^2+\xi^2)^2}{(\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi)^2}$$(See the EDIT below), where $\lambda$ and $\xi$ are positive integers ($\lambda \in N$ and $\xi \in N$) with $\lambda > \xi$. I'm intersted only in the pairs of values $(\lambda,\xi)$ such that the ratio $\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)}$ is an integer $(\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)} \in N)$ and for which: $$\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi > 0$$

Here the first integral values of $(\lambda,\xi,\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)})$ for $3\leq \lambda \leq 75$:

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I've tried a lot of different ways, for example trying to sum and subtract $1$ from both sides, obtaining: $$\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)} = \frac{4\lambda\xi(\lambda^2+\xi^2)}{(\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi)^2}+1$$ but it seems not very useful. Any idea?

EDIT:

As suggested by @Steven Stadnicki, we can only study the function: $$\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)}^{'} = \frac{\lambda^2+\xi^2}{\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi}$$ because both numerator and denominator are square.

2

There are 2 best solutions below

4
On BEST ANSWER

As you stated, you are looking for cases where

$$\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)}^{'} = \frac{\lambda^2+\xi^2}{\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi} \tag{1}\label{eq1A}$$

is an integer. You also have the constraint of

$$\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi > 0 \tag{2}\label{eq2A}$$

First, note that since the sum of the powers of $\lambda$ and $\xi$ is $2$ in each term in the numerator and denominator in \eqref{eq1A}, this means that $\psi_{(\lambda,\xi)}^{'}$ is a Homogenous function. This helps to simplify the handling of the results. In particular, all solutions are based on a common multiple of those where $\gcd(\lambda,\xi) = 1$. To see this, let

$$\gcd(\lambda, \xi) = d, \; \lambda = da, \; \xi = db, \; \gcd(a,b) = 1 \tag{3}\label{eq3A}$$

Now, if $(\lambda,\xi)$ is a solution to \eqref{eq1A}, you get

$$\begin{equation}\begin{aligned} \frac{\lambda^2+\xi^2}{\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi} & = \frac{(da)^2+(db)^2}{(da)^2-(db)^2-2(da)(db)} \\ & = \frac{d^2(a^2+ b^2)}{d^2(a^2- b^2 - 2ab)} \\ & = \frac{a^2+ b^2}{a^2- b^2 - 2ab} \end{aligned}\end{equation}\tag{4}\label{eq4A}$$

Thus, $(a,b)$ would also be a solution. Conversely, for any $(\lambda,\xi)$ being a solution, then for any positive integer $m$, then $(m\lambda,m\xi)$ is also a solution (e.g., your results show that $(3,1)$, $(6,2)$ and $(9,3)$ are solutions with a result of $25$). As such, we only need to study cases of solutions $(\lambda,\xi)$ where $\gcd(\lambda,\xi) = 1$ to then determine all other solutions as being multiples of these solutions, so consider this to be the case for the rest of this answer.

In \eqref{eq1A}, let

$$\lambda^2-\xi^2-2\lambda\xi = c \tag{5}\label{eq5A}$$

Thus, you have that $c \mid \lambda^2+\xi^2$, so both the numerator and denominator must be congruent to $0$ modulo $c$. In particular, for the denominator, you have

$$\begin{equation}\begin{aligned} & \lambda^2 - \xi^2 - 2\lambda\xi \equiv 0 \pmod c \\ & \lambda^2 \equiv \xi^2 + 2\lambda\xi \pmod c \end{aligned}\end{equation}\tag{6}\label{eq6A}$$

Using this, for the numerator you get

$$\begin{equation}\begin{aligned} & \lambda^2 + \xi^2 \equiv 0 \pmod c \\ & (\xi^2 + 2\lambda\xi) + \xi^2 \equiv 0 \pmod c \\ & 2\xi^2 + 2\lambda\xi \equiv 0 \pmod c \\ & 2\xi(\xi + \lambda) \equiv 0 \pmod c \end{aligned}\end{equation}\tag{7}\label{eq7A}$$

Consider any prime factor $p$ of $c$. One possibility, as shown by \eqref{eq7A}, is that $p = 2$. Next, consider $p$ to be an odd prime factor instead. Thus, $p \mid \xi$ and/or $p \mid \xi + \lambda$. In the first case, since $p \mid \lambda^2 + \xi^2$, then $p \mid \xi$, but that's not possible since $\lambda$ and $\xi$ are relatively prime. For the second case, you have $\lambda \equiv -\xi \pmod p$, so $\lambda^2 + \xi^2 \equiv (-\xi)^2 + \xi^2 \equiv 2\xi^2 \equiv 0 \pmod p$. Since $p$ is odd, this means $p \mid \xi$. However this is the first case, which was just shown to not be possible.

This means that $p$ can only possibly be $2$, i.e., $c$ is a non-negative power of $2$. Consider that $c$ is a positive power of $2$. Thus, $2 \mid \lambda^2 + \xi^2$ means that both $\lambda$ and $\xi$ must be odd, which also gives that $\lambda^2 + \xi^2 \equiv 1 + 1 \equiv 2 \pmod 4$, so the numerator has only one factor of $2$. Similarly, $4 \mid \lambda^2 - \xi^2$, but $2\lambda\xi$ has only one factor of $2$, so the denominator has only one factor of $2$.

This shows the denominator can only be $1$ or $2$. Note also that $$\begin{equation}\begin{aligned} \lambda^2 - \xi^2 - 2\lambda\xi & = \lambda^2 - 2\lambda\xi + \xi^2 - 2\xi^2 \\ & = (\lambda - \xi)^2 - 2\xi^2 \\ & = 1 \text{ or } 2 \end{aligned}\end{equation}\tag{8}\label{eq8A}$$

It being $1$ is a case of Pell's equation. The Wikipedia page explains how to solve these equations. Also, the Transformations section shows how to convert the case where \eqref{eq8A} is $2$ to the case where it's $1$.

There's also a lot of other information about Pell's equations available, including on this site, with Are Pell solutions "unique"?? being a fairly good one which has some basic explanations about how to deal with & solve these equations.

2
On

less involved than I thought. If $$ \frac{x^2 + y^2}{x^2 - 2 xy - y^2} = k $$ is a positive integer, we need $$ (k-1)x^2 - 2 k xy - (k+1) y^2 = 0 $$ with the discriminant of the quadratic form a positive square, that is $$ 4 k^2 + 4(k+1)(k-1) = t^2 $$ or $$ t^2 - 8 k^2 = -4. $$ The positive values of $k,$ namely $$ 1, 5, 29, 169, 985, 5741,... $$ satisfy $$ k_{n+2} = 6 k_{n+1} - k_n $$ Let's see, here $t$ is going to be even, so we might at well say $t = 2s,$ giving $4s^2 - 8 k^2 = -4,$ then $s^2 - 2 k^2 = -1.$ The useful fact here is the target number $-1.$ In Pell equations $u^2 - n v^2 = 1$ or $u^2 - n v^2 = -1,$ when $n$ is not allowed square, the theorem is that there is just one orbit of solutions under the automorphism group of the form, hence we need just one sequence $1, 5, 29, $ and so on.

=================================================================================

If we looked for solutions to, say, $w^2 - 2 v^2 = -2737 = -7 \cdot 17 \cdot 23, $ we would need several such sequences, with no good way to combine them. Might as well show you; even if we ignore $\pm,$ we need eight separate sequences $v_n$ obeying $ v_{n+2} = 6 v_{n+1} - v_n .$ The first such sequence begins $$ 37, 113, 641, 3733, .. $$ The second begins $$ 41, 173, 997, 5809, ... $$ then six more such sequences. Each of these sequences is every eighth number in the column of $v$ below.


jagy@phobeusjunior:~$ ./Pell_Target_Fundamental  Automorphism matrix:  
    3   4
    2   3
  Automorphism backwards:  
    3   -4
    -2   3

  3^2 - 2 2^2 = 1

 w^2 - 2 v^2 = -2737 =   -1 * 7 17 23

Tue Jan 14 15:42:41 PST 2020

w:  1  v:  37  SEED   KEEP +- 
w:  25  v:  41  SEED   KEEP +- 
w:  31  v:  43  SEED   KEEP +- 
w:  41  v:  47  SEED   KEEP +- 
w:  65  v:  59  SEED   BACK ONE STEP  -41 ,  47
w:  79  v:  67  SEED   BACK ONE STEP  -31 ,  43
w:  89  v:  73  SEED   BACK ONE STEP  -25 ,  41
w:  145  v:  109  SEED   BACK ONE STEP  -1 ,  37
w:  151  v:  113
w:  239  v:  173
w:  265  v:  191
w:  311  v:  223
w:  431  v:  307
w:  505  v:  359
w:  559  v:  397
w:  871  v:  617
w:  905  v:  641
w:  1409  v:  997
w:  1559  v:  1103
w:  1825  v:  1291
w:  2521  v:  1783
w:  2951  v:  2087
w:  3265  v:  2309
w:  5081  v:  3593
w:  5279  v:  3733
w:  8215  v:  5809
w:  9089  v:  6427
w:  10639  v:  7523
w:  14695  v:  10391
w:  17201  v:  12163
w:  19031  v:  13457
w:  29615  v:  20941
w:  30769  v:  21757
w:  47881  v:  33857
w:  52975  v:  37459
w:  62009  v:  43847
w:  85649  v:  60563
w:  100255  v:  70891
w:  110921  v:  78433
w:  172609  v:  122053
w:  179335  v:  126809
w:  279071  v:  197333
w:  308761  v:  218327
w:  361415  v:  255559
w:  499199  v:  352987
w:  584329  v:  413183
w:  646495  v:  457141
w:  1006039  v:  711377
w:  1045241  v:  739097
w:  1626545  v:  1150141
w:  1799591  v:  1272503
w:  2106481  v:  1489507
w:  2909545  v:  2057359
w:  3405719  v:  2408207
w:  3768049  v:  2664413
w:  5863625  v:  4146209
w:  6092111  v:  4307773
w:  9480199  v:  6703513
w:  10488785  v:  7416691
w:  12277471  v:  8681483

Tue Jan 14 15:43:12 PST 2020

 w^2 - 2 v^2 = -2737 =   -1 * 7 17 23

jagy@phobeusjunior:~$ 

see also https://oeis.org/A001653