# Math Help - solutions of equations, using rings

1. ## solutions of equations, using rings

My problem is to show that $m^3+14n^3-12=0$ has no solution in the integers.
I've done other problems like this with one variable, where you show that there are no roots in, say $Z_3$ or $Z_5$. However with this equation I know Z2, Z3, Z4, Z6 won't work and I've found roots in Z5 and Z7 already. Do I need to go even higher or am I missing something obvious? Does anyone know which Zx I should try, if I do indeed need to go higher?

Thanks a lot!

2. Originally Posted by kimberu
My problem is to show that $m^3+14n^3-12=0$ has no solution in the integers.
I've done other problems like this with one variable, where you show that there are no roots in, say $Z_3$ or $Z_5$. However with this equation I know Z2, Z3, Z4, Z6 won't work and I've found roots in Z5 and Z7 already. Do I need to go even higher or am I missing something obvious? Does anyone know which Zx I should try, if I do indeed need to go higher?

Thanks a lot!
This is probably not the intended method, but it works fine...

Assume towards a contradiction that there are integers $m,n$ with $m^3+14n^3-12$. Then

$m^3=2(6-7n^3)$ $\implies$ $2\big|m^3$ $\implies$ $m=2a$ for some integer $a$.

So $8a^3=12-14n^3$, that is, $7n^3=2(3-2a^3)$, which implies $2\big|7n^3$

$\implies$ $n=2b$ for some integer $b$.

So $7(8b^3)=6-4a^3$, that is, $2(14b^3+a^3)=3$. But this implies $2\big|3$, which is a contradiction.

3. Originally Posted by kimberu
My problem is to show that $m^3+14n^3-12=0$ has no solution in the integers.
I've done other problems like this with one variable, where you show that there are no roots in, say $Z_3$ or $Z_5$. However with this equation I know Z2, Z3, Z4, Z6 won't work and I've found roots in Z5 and Z7 already. Do I need to go even higher or am I missing something obvious? Does anyone know which Zx I should try, if I do indeed need to go higher?

Thanks a lot!
Mod 14 works. However, so does mod 7.

Working mod 7, we want to find m such that $m^3 \equiv 5 \text{ mod }7$.

$1^3 = 1$
$2^3 = 8=1$
$3^3 = 3*9=3*2=6=-1$
$4^3 = (-3)^3 = (-1)^33^3 = 1$
$5^3 = (-2)^3=-1$
$6^3 = (-1)^3=-1$

And so none are congruent to 5 mod 7, and so your equation has no roots...