TITLE: $\gcd\left(a+b,\frac{a^p+b^p}{a+b}\right)=1$, or $p$
QUESTION [10 upvotes]: Let $p$ be prime number ($p\gt2$) and $a,b\in\mathbb Z$ ,$a+b\neq0$ ,$\gcd(a,b)=1$ how to  prove that $$\gcd\left(a+b,\frac{a^p+b^p}{a+b}\right)=1~~\text{or}~~ p$$
Thanks in advance .

REPLY [8 votes]: $\begin{align}&{\bf Hint}\ \  \rm\displaystyle {\left(a\!-\!b,\frac{a^p\!-b^p}{a-b}\right)} = \overbrace{(a\!-\!b,\,a^{p-1}\!+\cdots+b^{p-1}) = (a\!-\!b,\color{#C00}{pb^{p-1}})}^{\large \bmod a-b:\ \ a\ \equiv\ b} = (a\!-\!b,p)\\[.2em]  
&\rm\ \ \  by\ \ \ (a,b) = 1\:\Rightarrow\: (a\!-\!b,b) = (a,b)=1,\,\ therefore\ \,\rm (a\!-\!b,b^n) = 1\ \  by\ Euclid's\ Lemma. \end{align}$
Remark $\ $ It's a special case $\rm\ f(x) = x^p,\,\ x = a\ \ (so\ \ \color{#0A0}{f'(b)} = \color{#C00}{pb^{p-1}})\:$ of
Theorem $\rm\displaystyle\quad  \frac{f(x)-f(b)}{x-b} \equiv\ \color{#0A0}{f\:'(b)}\pmod {x\!-\!b}\quad$ for $\rm\ f(x)\in \mathbb Z[x]$
Proof $\ $ By Taylor, $\rm\,\ f(x)\ =\ f(b)  +\: f\:'(b)\ (x\!-\!b) \,+\, (x\!-\!b)^2\: g(x)\ \ $ for some $\rm\ g(x) \in \mathbb Z[x]$