Find positive integers for both a and b

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The problem involves finding positive integers a and b that satisfy the equation $\displaystyle \left(\sqrt[3]{a}+\sqrt[3]{b}-1 \right)^2=49+20\sqrt[3]{6}$. The solution involves expressing the right-hand side in the form $\alpha +\beta \sqrt[3]{6}+\gamma \sqrt[3]{36}$, where $\alpha=-1$, $\beta=2$, and $\gamma=2$. This leads to the identification of the integers as a=48 and b=288, or vice versa. The problem is sourced from the British Math Olympiad, specifically from the 2000 round.

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anemone
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I have a question relating to solving for both a and b in the following question:

Find positive integers a and b such that:

$\displaystyle \left(\sqrt[3]{a}+\sqrt[3]{b}-1 \right)^2=49+20\sqrt[3]{6}$

This one appears to be tough because it doesn't seem right to expand the left hand side and I have tried that but it lead me to nowhere closer to finding both integers values for a and b.

Also, I've tried to work on the right hand side as my effort revolved around rewriting it as the square of sum of two terms but this has not been a fruitful approach as well.

Do you guys have any idea on how I can solve this one, please?

Thanks in advance.
 
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anemone said:
Find positive integers a and b such that:

$\displaystyle \left(\sqrt[3]{a}+\sqrt[3]{b}-1 \right)^2=49+20\sqrt[3]{6}$

One way: expressing $\sqrt{49+20\sqrt[3]{6}}=\alpha +\beta \sqrt[3]{6}+\gamma \sqrt[3]{36}$ with $\alpha,\beta,\gamma\in\mathbb{Q}$ we get $\alpha=-1,\beta=\gamma=2$. Now, identifyng, we obtain $a=48,b=288$ (0r reciprocally).

P.S. For the first step, we have used that a basis of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[3]{6})$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ is $B=\{1,\sqrt[3]{6},\sqrt[3]{36}\}$. I ignore if at Olympiad level the students cover some similar property (of course without using the theory of extension fields).
 

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