CDS 2025 · PYQ · Number Theory / Divisibility · hard
What is the minimum value of p for which 1/532900 + p²/266450 + p⁴/523900 is an integer?
A.729✓ Correct
B.243
C.27
D.1
Explanation
For the sum to be an integer, p must be chosen so that all three fractions combine to an integer. The denominators 532900, 266450, 523900 contain various prime factors. The smallest p making the expression an integer, based on the LCM structure of the denominators and the requirement that p² and p⁴ clear the denominators, is p = 729 = 3⁶.
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