unique representation of primes as a sum of 2 squares [duplicate]

Solution 1:

The slickest way is via a little Algebraic Number Theory. If $p=a^2+b^2=c^2+d^2$ then $$p=(a+bi)(a-bi)=(c+di)(c-di)$$ Now ${\bf Z}[i]$ is a unique factorization domain, so these two factorizations of $p$ show that $a+bi$ can't be a prime in ${\bf Z}[i]$. We must have a non-trivial factorization $a+bi=(s+ti)(u+vi)$, whence $a-bi=(s-ti)(u-vi)$, and then $$p=(s^2+t^2)(u^2+v^2)$$ contradicting primality of $p$.

There are ways to answer your question without these advanced concepts, but I can never remember how it's done. I'm sure someone else will.

Solution 2:

Here's an answer without Algebraic Number Theory. I found it in Shanks, Solved and Unsolved Problems in Number Theory.

Assume $$p=a^2+b^2=c^2+d^2\tag1$$ with all variables positive integers. Then $$p^2=(a^2+b^2)(c^2+d^2)=a^2c^2+a^2d^2+b^2c^2+b^2d^2$$ and you can verify by just multiplying everything out that $$p^2=(ac+bd)^2+(ad-bc)^2\tag2$$ and $$p^2=(ac-bd)^2+(ad+bc)^2\tag3$$ By (1), we have $$(p-a^2)d^2=(p-c^2)b^2$$ which implies $$p(d^2-b^2)=(ad-bc)(ad+bc)\tag4$$ From (4), $p$ divides $ad-bc$, or $p$ divides $ad+bc$. If $p$ divides $ad-bc$, then from (2) we get $ad-bc=0$, so $d^2-b^2=0$, so $b=d$. If $p$ divides $ad+bc$, then from (3) we get $ac=bd$. Now $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime, so $a$ divides $d$, and $b$ divides $c$. Then by (1) we have $a=d$, and we have proved that the two representations of $p$ are the same.

This is probably something like what @Konstantinos was getting at in his answer.