Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2001 / iii / Paper 19 / 1 / ii / Solution

Suppose an integer right triangle with square area exists, and choose one with the least positive hypotenuse $c$. It is primitive. Indeed, dividing all sides by their common divisor $d$ gives an integer right triangle whose area is the square of the rational number $s/d$, where $s^2$ was the original area. Its area is an integer, since one of its legs is even. A rational number whose square is an integer is itself an integer, as follows by writing it in lowest terms. Thus division by $d>1$ would give another square-area triangle with smaller hypotenuse.

By the primitive Pythagorean parametrization, after ordering the legs the triangle has sides $n^2-m^2,2nm,n^2+m^2$, with coprime $n>m>0$ of opposite parity. Its area isThese four positive factors are pairwise coprime: the pair $n-m,n+m$ has gcd dividing $2m$ and is odd, and the other pairs have gcd one by $\gcd (n,m)=1$. Since the product is a square, each factor is a square. WriteBoth $w,z$ are odd. Odd squares are $1(\mathrm{mod}8)$, so $2m=w^2-z^2$ is divisible by eight; hence $m$ is divisible by four and $v$ is even. Define positive integersThey satisfyThus $(r,s,u)$ is another positive integer right triangle with square area, but its hypotenuse $u=\sqrt{n}$ is strictly smaller than $n^2+m^2=c$. This contradicts minimality. No integer right triangle has a nonzero square area. This is the Fermat right triangle theorem, with the actual infinite descent construction exhibited.