{Number Theory} Smallest integer solution

youngstudent16
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Homework Statement


Let ##x,y,z## be positive integers such that ##\sqrt{x+2\sqrt{2015}}=\sqrt{y}+\sqrt{z}## find the smallest possible value of ##x##

Homework Equations


Not even sure what to ask I'm trying to learn number theory doing problems and look up information by doing the problems. [/B]

The Attempt at a Solution



The only thing I have done so far is get it set equal to ##x## so that I could make do some algebra and the answer would pop up.
##x=2\sqrt{yz}+y+z-2\sqrt{2015}##

Thanks for any help.
 
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youngstudent16 said:

Homework Statement


Let ##x,y,z## be positive integers such that ##\sqrt{x+2\sqrt{2015}}=\sqrt{y}+\sqrt{z}## find the smallest possible value of ##x##

Homework Equations


Not even sure what to ask I'm trying to learn number theory doing problems and look up information by doing the problems. [/B]

The Attempt at a Solution



The only thing I have done so far is get it set equal to ##x## so that I could make do some algebra and the answer would pop up.
##x=2\sqrt{yz}+y+z-2\sqrt{2015}##

Thanks for any help.

Should be kind of clear where to go from there. ##x,y,z## are integers. ##2\sqrt{2015}## is irrational. Something else irrational must cancel it. What must it be?
 
Dick said:
Should be kind of clear where to go from there. ##x,y,z## are integers. ##2\sqrt{2015}## is irrational. Something else irrational must cancel it. What must it be?
But if it cancels it out wouldn't that make ##x=0## which I can't have?
 
youngstudent16 said:
But if it cancels it out wouldn't that make ##x=0## which I can't have?

There are only two things with can be irrational in your expression. What the other one? Equate them.
 
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Dick said:
There are only two things with can be irrational in your expression. What the other one? Equate them.
Thank you I'm little tired so I just didn't understand what you said the first time even though it was clear. I got the correct answer now with that hint which is ##96##
 
youngstudent16 said:
Thank you I'm little tired so I just didn't understand what you said the first time even though it was clear. I got the correct answer now with that hint which is ##96##

You're welcome. But my argument why is pretty dodgy. If you want to be more rigorous, can you show that ##2015yz## must be a perfect square? What would that imply?
 
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