A258149 Triangle of the absolute difference of the two legs (catheti) of primitive Pythagorean triangles.

1, 0, 7, 7, 0, 17, 0, 1, 0, 31, 23, 0, 0, 0, 49, 0, 17, 0, 23, 0, 71, 47, 0, 7, 0, 41, 0, 97, 0, 41, 0, 7, 0, 0, 0, 127, 79, 0, 31, 0, 0, 0, 89, 0, 161, 0, 73, 0, 17, 0, 47, 0, 119, 0, 199, 119, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 73, 0, 0, 0, 241

Offset

2,3

Comments

For primitive Pythagorean triangles characterized by certain (n,m) pairs and references see A225949.

Here a(n,m) = 0 for non-primitive Pythagorean triangles, and for primitive Pythagorean triangles a(n,m) = abs(n^2 - m^2 - 2*n*m) = abs((n-m)^2 - 2*m^2).

The number of non-vanishing entries in row n is A055034(n).

D(n,m):= n^2 - m^2 - 2*n*m >= 0 if 1 <= m <= floor(n/(sqrt(2)+1)), and D(n,m) < 0 if n/(sqrt(2)+1)+1 <= m <= n-1, for n >= 2.

The Pell equation (n-m)^2 - 2*m^2 = +/- N is important here to find the representations of +N or -N in the triangle D(n,m). For instance, odd primes N have to be of the +1 (mod 8) (A007519) or -1 (mod 8) (A007522) form, that is, from A001132. See the Nagell reference, Theorem 110, p. 208 with Theorem 111, pp. 210-211. E.g., N = +7 appears for m = 1, 3, 9, 19, 53, ... (A077442) for n = 4, 8, 22, 46, 128, ... (2*A006452).

N = -7 appears for n = 3, 9, 19, 53, 111, ... (A077442) and m = 2, 4, 8, 22, 46, ... (2*A006452).

For the signed version 2*n*m - (n^2 - m^2) see A278717. - Wolfdieter Lang, Nov 30 2016

References

See also A225949.

T. Nagell, Introduction to Number Theory, Chelsea Publishing Company, New York, 1964, pp. 208, 210-211.

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=2..67.

Formula

a(n,m) = abs(n^2 - m^2 -2*n*m) = abs((n-m)^2 - 2*m^2) if n > m >= 1, gcd(n,m) = 1, and n and m are integers of opposite parity (i.e., (-1)^(n+m) = -1); otherwise a(n,m) = 0.

Example

The triangle a(n,m) begins:
n\m   1  2  3  4  5  6  7   8   9  10  11 ...
2:    1
3:    0  7
4:    7  0 17
5:    0  1  0 31
6:   23  0  0  0 49
7:    0 17  0 23  0 71
8:   47  0  7  0 41  0 97
9:    0 41  0  7  0  0  0 127
10:  79  0 31  0  0  0 89   0 161
11:   0 73  0 17  0 47  0 119   0 199
12: 119  0  0  0  1  0 73   0   0   0 241
...
a(2,1) = |1^2 - 2*1^2| = 1 for the primitive Pythagorean triangle (pPt) [3,4,5] with |3-4| = 1.
a(3,2) = |1^2 - 2*2^2| = 7 for the pPt [5,12,13] with |5 - 12| = 7.
a(4,1) = |3^2 - 2*1^2| = 7 for the pPt [15, 8, 17] with |15 - 8| = 7.

Mathematica

a[n_, m_] /; n > m >= 1 && CoprimeQ[n, m] && (-1)^(n+m) == -1 := Abs[n^2 - m^2 - 2*n*m]; a[_, _] = 0; Table[a[n, m], {n, 2, 12}, {m, 1, n-1}] // Flatten (* Jean-François Alcover, Jun 16 2015, after given formula *)

Crossrefs

Cf. A249866, A222946, A225949, A222951, A258150, A278717 (signed).

Sequence in context: A196602 A200622 A357102 * A278717 A241009 A278657

Adjacent sequences: A258146 A258147 A258148 * A258150 A258151 A258152

Keyword

nonn,easy,tabl

Author

Wolfdieter Lang, Jun 10 2015

Status

approved