
Show that the product of four consecutive integers cannot be a square.
Solution
(n-1)n(n+1)(n+2) = (n2+n)(n2+n-2) = (n2+n-1)2 - 1. Any two squares differ by more than 1, so it cannot be a square.
![]()
© John Scholes
jscholes@kalva.demon.co.uk
1 Nov 2003
Last corrected/updated 1 Nov 03