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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Saudi Arabia

Consider the sequence xn=2nnx_{n} = 2^{n} - n, n=0,1,2,n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots. Find all integers m0m \geq 0 such that sm=x0+x1+x2++xms_{m} = x_{0} + x_{1} + x_{2} + \ldots + x_{m} is a power of 22.

Solution

We have
sm=k=0m(2kk)=2m+11m(m+1)2 s_{m} = \sum_{k=0}^{m} \left(2^{k} - k\right) = 2^{m+1} - 1 - \frac{m(m+1)}{2}
We prove that for m3m \geq 3, we have 2m<sm<2m+12^{m} < s_{m} < 2^{m+1}. This inequality is equivalent to
2m<2m+11m(m+1)2<2m+1 2^{m} < 2^{m+1} - 1 - \frac{m(m+1)}{2} < 2^{m+1}
The right inequality is obvious. The left inequality is equivalent to
1+m(m+1)2<2m 1 + \frac{m(m+1)}{2} < 2^{m}
that is
2+2m(m+1)2<2m+1 2 + 2 \frac{m(m+1)}{2} < 2^{m+1}
or
2((m+10)+(m+12))<2m+1 2\left(\binom{m+1}{0} + \binom{m+1}{2}\right) < 2^{m+1}
and we are done.

For m=0m=0, we have s0=1=20s_{0} = 1 = 2^{0}.
For m=1m=1, we have s1=2=21s_{1} = 2 = 2^{1}.
For m=2m=2, we have s2=4=22s_{2} = 4 = 2^{2}.
The solutions are m{0,1,2}m \in \{0, 1, 2\}.

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