Diophantus of Alexandria/Arithmetica/Book 5/Problem 30
Example of Diophantine Problem
- A man buys a certain number of measures of wine, some at $8$ drachmas, some at $5$ drachmas each.
- He pays for them a square number of drachmas;
- and if we add $60$ to this number, the result is a square, the side of which is equal to the whole number of measures.
- Find how many he bought at each price.
Solution
The solution given by Diophantus of Alexandria is:
- The number of $5$-drachma measures is $\dfrac {79} {12}$.
- The number of $8$-drachma measures is $\dfrac {59} {12}$.
Proof
Let $x$ be the total number of measures bought.
Then $x^2 - 60$ is the price paid, which is itself a square number: $\paren {x - m}^2$, say.
So, $\dfrac 1 5$ of the price of the $5$-drachma measures plus $\dfrac 1 8$ of the price of the $8$-drachma measures equals $x$.
Hence the total price $x^2 - 60$ has to be divided into $2$ parts such that $\dfrac 1 5$ of one plus $\dfrac 1 8$ of the other equals $x$.
This has no real solution unless:
\(\ds x\) | \(>\) | \(\ds \dfrac 1 5 \paren {x^2 - 60}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds x\) | \(<\) | \(\ds \dfrac 1 8 \paren {x^2 - 60}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \leadsto \ \ \) | \(\ds 5 x\) | \(<\) | \(\ds x^2 - 60 < 8 x\) |
Thus we have:
- $x^2 > 5 x + 60$
and so $x^2$ equals $5 x$ plus a number greater than $60$.
Hence $x$ is not less than $11$.
Similarly, we have:
- $x^2 < 8 x + 60$
and so $x^2$ equals $8 x$ minus a number less than 60.
Hence $x$ is not greater than $12$.
That is:
- $11 < x < 12$
From above, we deduce:
- $x = \dfrac {m^2 + 60} {2 m}$
and so:
- $22 m < m^2 + 60 < 24 m$
So:
- $22 m$ equals $m^2$ plus some number less than $60$
and so:
- $m^2$ is not less than $19$.
Also:
- $24 m$ equals $m^2$ minus some number greater than $60$
and so:
- $m^2$ is less than $21$.
So we can put $m = 20$, and so:
- $x^2 - 60 = \paren {x - 20}^2$
which leads to:
\(\ds x\) | \(=\) | \(\ds 11 \tfrac 1 2\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds x^2\) | \(=\) | \(\ds 132 \tfrac 1 4\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds x^2 - 60\) | \(=\) | \(\ds 72 \tfrac 1 4\) |
It remains to divide $72 \frac 1 4$ into $2$ parts such that $\dfrac 1 5$ of one part plus $\dfrac 1 8$ of the other part equals $11 \frac 1 2$.
Let the first part be $5 z$.
Therefore $\dfrac 1 8$ times the second half equals $11 \frac 1 2 + z$
That is, the second half equals $92 - 8 z$m which leads to:
- $5 z + 92 - 8 z = 72 \frac 1 4$
and so:
- $z = \dfrac {79} {12}$
Hence the result.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- c. 250: Diophantus of Alexandria: Arithmetica: Book $\text {V}$: Problem $30$
- 1910: Sir Thomas L. Heath: Diophantus of Alexandria (2nd ed.): The Arithmetica: Book $\text {V}$: $30$
- 1968: Henrietta Midonick: The Treasury of Mathematics: Volume $\text { 2 }$
- 1992: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Square Problems: $29$