Past exam of the short options course of the University of Oxford / 2014 / 1 / b

Writing $a=21r$, the second condition becomes $r\equiv 4(\mathrm{mod}5)$. Writing $b=15s$, its second condition becomes $s\equiv 6(\mathrm{mod}7)$. Consequentlygives an infinite set of positive integer solutions. Conversely these are the positive solutions in the indicated congruence classes, by the Chinese remainder theorem.

Choose any pair $(a,b)$ from part (i), and put $A=2^a{3}^b$. The divisibilities of the exponents makepositive integers. Their powers areThus $x^3+y^5=z^7$, with all three powers nonzero and distinct. For example, take $a=84+105t$, $b=90+105t$ for every nonnegative integer $t$. Then $A$ strictly increases, giving infinitely many distinct solutions. The construction uses modular congruences to turn the elementary identity $A+2A=3A$ into three prescribed perfect powers.