# Math Help - Find integer solutions to 1/x + 1/y = 1/14

1. ## Find integer solutions to 1/x + 1/y = 1/14

Find all solutions where x and y are integers:

$\frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} = \frac{1}{14}$

this can be rearranged to:

$\frac{xy}{x + y} = 14$

I know how to solve diophantine equations of the form

$ax + by = c$

Obviously the given equation is in a different form. How do I solve?

2. ## Re: Find integer solutions to 1/x + 1/y = 1/14

Originally Posted by VinceW
Find all solutions where x and y are integers:

$\frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} = \frac{1}{14}$

this can be rearranged to:

$\frac{xy}{x + y} = 14$

I know how to solve diophantine equations of the form

$ax + by = c$

Obviously the given equation is in a different form. How do I solve?
$\frac{1}{14}= \frac{1}{x}+ \frac{1}{y}< \frac{1}{|x|}+ \frac{1}{|y|}$. Let $|x|<|y|$ so $\frac{1}{14}<\frac{1}{|x|} + \frac{1}{|y|} < 2 \frac{1}{|x|}$ which gives $|x|< 28$. now there are only 56 values of $x$ to be fed into the equation and see which ones give an integral value of $y$. the computation can be further reduced by using some divisibility by $7$ and $2$ which are the factors of $14$.

3. ## Re: Find integer solutions to 1/x + 1/y = 1/14

i just found another way. put $x=14+a, \, y=14+b$, we immediately get $ab=14^2$.

4. ## Re: Find integer solutions to 1/x + 1/y = 1/14

Originally Posted by VinceW
Find all solutions where x and y are integers:

$\frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} = \frac{1}{14}$

this can be rearranged to:

$\frac{xy}{x + y} = 14$

I know how to solve diophantine equations of the form

$ax + by = c$

Obviously the given equation is in a different form. How do I solve?

$\frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} = \frac{1}{14}$

$\frac{x+y}{xy} = \frac{1}{14}$

$xy = 14(x+y)$

$xy-14x-14y+196=196$

$(x-14)(y-14) = 196$