For any integer n greater than 1, $4^n+n^4$ is never a prime number. For any integer n greater than 1, show that $4^n+n^4$ is never a prime number.
My approach: I tried to use mathematical induction. But somehow couldn't manage to prove it. Is it to be done by induction or can it be done by another method?

This is a nice identity. Try to complete the square: $4^n+n^4=(2^n)^2+(n^2)^2=(2^n+n^2)^2-2\cdot2^n\cdot n^2$. 
Now, clearly we may assume that $n$ is odd, else the sum is even and larger than $2$. But if $n$ is odd, then $2\cdot 2^n$ is itself a square, and we can continue: Say $n=2k-1$, then $(2^n+n^2)^2-2\cdot2^n\cdot n^2=(2^n+n^2-2^kn)(2^n+n^2+2^kn)$.
Finally, one just needs to check that neither term in this product is $1$. This is clear for the second term. As for the first, note that $2^n+n^2-2^kn=2^k(2^{k-1}-2k+1)+n^2$, and $2^{k-1}-2k+1\ge0$ if $2^{k-1}+1\ge 2k$, which holds for $k\ge 4$ (as one easily verifies by induction). The remaining cases $k=2,3$ can be checked directly by hand. (Note that $k=1$ corresponds to $n=1$, and $4^1+1^4=5$ is prime.)
