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Next: New reading and problems Up: Freshman Seminar 21n: Elliptic Previous: Skipping Next Monday

Problems from the reading

  1. (Jeff) Prove that the line connecting two distinct rational points in the plane is defined by an equation $ ax+by+c=0$ with $ a,b,c\in{\mathbb{Z}}$, then prove that the intersection of any two distinct rational lines in the plane is empty or a single rational point.

  2. (Jennifer) Find all right triangles with integer side lengths and hypotenuse $ <30$.

  3. (Mauro) For each of the following conics, either find five rational points or prove that there are no rational points:
    1. $ x^2 +y^2=6$
    2. $ 3x^2+5y^2=4$
    3. $ 3x^2+6y^2=4$

  4. (Alex) Draw a rough graph of the conic $ x^2 - y^2 = 1$, then give a formula for all the rational points on this conic.

  5. (Jenna) Use induction on $ n$ to prove that for every $ n\geq 1$, the congruence

    $\displaystyle x^2 + 1 \equiv 0 \pmod{5^n}
$

    has a solution $ x_n \in {\mathbb{Z}}/5^n{\mathbb{Z}}$.



William A Stein 2003-02-11