Prove that the difference of two consecutive cubes is never divisible by 3

Discussion in 'Calculator Requests' started by math_celebrity, Jan 24, 2024.

  1. math_celebrity

    math_celebrity Administrator Staff Member

    Take two consecutive integers:
    n, n + 1

    The difference of their cubes is:
    (n + 1)^3 - n^3
    n^3 + 3n^2 + 3n + 1 - n^3

    Cancel the n^3
    3n^2 + 3n + 1

    Factor out a 3 from the first 2 terms:
    3(n^2 + n) + 1

    The first two terms are always divisible by 3 but then the + 1 makes this expression not divisible by 3:
    3(n^2 + n) + 1 = 1 (mod 3)

     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2024

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