Solution 1
This solution refers to the Remarks section.
By the Euclidean Algorithm, we have
gcd(2m+1,2m−1)=gcd(2,2m−1)=1.
We are given that gcd(2m+1,2n−1)>1. Multiplying both sides by gcd(2m−1,2n−1) gives
gcd(2m+1,2n−1)⋅gcd(2m−1,2n−1)gcd((2m+1)(2m−1),2n−1)gcd(22m−1,2n−1)2gcd(2m,n)−1gcd(2m,n)>gcd(2m−1,2n−1)>gcd(2m−1,2n−1)>gcd(2m−1,2n−1)>2gcd(m,n)−1>gcd(m,n),by Claim 1by Claim 2
which implies that n must have more factors of 2 than m does.
We construct the following table for the first 30 positive integers:
[−2.5ex]# of Factors of 2[−2.25ex]0[−2.25ex]1[−2.25ex]2[−2.25ex]3[−2.25ex]4Numbers1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,292,6,10,14,18,22,26,304,12,20,288,2416Count158421
To count the ordered pairs (m,n), we perform casework on the number of factors of 2 that m has:
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If m has 0 factors of 2, then m has 15 options and n has 8+4+2+1=15 options. So, this case has 15⋅15=225 ordered pairs.
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If m has 1 factor of 2, then m has 8 options and n has 4+2+1=7 options. So, this case has 8⋅7=56 ordered pairs.
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If m has 2 factors of 2, then m has 4 options and n has 2+1=3 options. So, this case has 4⋅3=12 ordered pairs.
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If m has 3 factors of 2, then m has 2 options and n has 1 option. So, this case has 2⋅1=2 ordered pairs.
Together, the answer is 225+56+12+2=295.
~Lcz ~MRENTHUSIASM
Solution 2
Consider any ordered pair (m,n) such that gcd(2m+1,2n−1)>1. There must exist some odd number p=1 such that 2m≡−1(modp) and 2n≡1(modp). Let d be the order of 2 modulo p. Note that 22m≡1(modp). From this, we can say that 2m and n are both multiples of d, but m is not. Thus, we have v2(n)≥v2(d) and v2(m)+1=v2(d). Substituting the latter equation into the inequality before gives v2(n)≥v2(m)+1. Since v2(n) and v2(m) are integers, this implies v2(n)>v2(m). The rest of the solution now proceeds as in Solution 1.
~Sedro
Remarks
Claim 1 (GCD Property)
If r,s, and t are positive integers such that gcd(r,s)=1, then gcd(r,t)⋅gcd(s,t)=gcd(rs,t).
As r and s are relatively prime (have no prime divisors in common), this property is intuitive.
~MRENTHUSIASM
Claim 2 (Olympiad Number Theory Lemma)
If u,a, and b are positive integers such that u≥2, then gcd(ua−1,ub−1)=ugcd(a,b)−1.
There are two proofs to this claim, as shown below.
~MRENTHUSIASM
Claim 2 Proof 1 (Euclidean Algorithm)
If a=b, then gcd(a,b)=a=b, from which the claim is clearly true.
Otherwise, let a>b without the loss of generality. For all integers p and q such that p>q>0, the Euclidean Algorithm states that
gcd(p,q)=gcd(p−q,q)=⋯=gcd(pmodq,q).
We apply this result repeatedly to reduce the larger number:
gcd(ua−1,ub−1)=gcd(ua−1−ua−b(ub−1),ub−1)=gcd(ua−b−1,ub−1).
Continuing, we have
gcd(ua−1,ub−1)=gcd(ua−b−1,ub−1) ⋮=gcd(ugcd(a,b)−1,ugcd(a,b)−1)=ugcd(a,b)−1,
from which the proof is complete.
~MRENTHUSIASM
Claim 2 Proof 2 (Bézout's Identity)
Let d=gcd(ua−1,ub−1). It follows that ua≡1(modd) and ub≡1(modd).
By Bézout's Identity, there exist integers x and y such that ax+by=gcd(a,b), so
ugcd(a,b)=uax+by=(ua)x⋅(ub)y≡1(modd),
from which ugcd(a,b)−1≡0(modd). We know that ugcd(a,b)−1≥d.
Next, we notice that
ua−1ub−1=(ugcd(a,b)−1)(ua−gcd(a,b)+ua−2gcd(a,b)+ua−3gcd(a,b)+⋯+1),=(ugcd(a,b)−1)(ub−gcd(a,b)+ub−2gcd(a,b)+ub−3gcd(a,b)+⋯+1).
Since ugcd(a,b)−1 is a common divisor of ua−1 and ub−1, we conclude that ugcd(a,b)−1=d, from which the proof is complete.
~MRENTHUSIASM
Video Solution
https://youtu.be/h3awf7yhGZ4
~MathProblemSolvingSkills.com
Video Solution by Interstigation
https://youtu.be/kasgsb0Rge4
~Interstigation