2024 AMC 10A Problems/Problem 11

Problem

How many ordered pairs of integers $(m, n)$ satisfy $\sqrt{n^2 - 49} = m$ ?

$\textbf{(A)}~1\qquad\textbf{(B)}~2\qquad\textbf{(C)}~3\qquad\textbf{(D)}~4\qquad\textbf{(E)}$ Infinitely many

Solution

Note that $m$ is a nonnegative integer.

We square, rearrange, and apply the difference of squares formula to the given equation: $(n+m)(n-m)=49.$ It is clear that $n+m\geq n-m,$ so $(n+m,n-m)=(49,1),(7,7),(-7,-7),(-1,-49).$ Each ordered pair $(n+m,n-m)$ gives one ordered pair $(m,n),$ so there are $\boxed{\textbf{(D)}~4}$ such ordered pairs $(m,n).$

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2024 AMC 10A Problems/Problem 11

Problem

Solution