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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Consider a non-zero real number aa such that {a}+{1a}=1\{a\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a} \right\} = 1, where {x}\{x\} denotes the fractional part of xx. Prove that for any positive integer nn, {an}+{1an}=1\left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} = 1.

Solution

We have
a+1a=[a]+[1a]+{a}+{1a}=[a]+[1a]+1 a + \frac{1}{a} = [a] + \left[ \frac{1}{a} \right] + \{ a \} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a} \right\} = [a] + \left[ \frac{1}{a} \right] + 1
is an integer and denote this integer by kk. Let Sn=an+1anS_{n} = a^{n} + \frac{1}{a^{n}}, n=0,1,2,n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots Since aa and 1a\frac{1}{a} are the roots of quadratic equation x2kx+1=0x^{2} - kx + 1 = 0, it follows that
Sn+2=kSn+1Sn,n=0,1,2, S_{n+2} = k S_{n+1} - S_{n}, \quad n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots
We have S0=2S_{0} = 2, S1=kS_{1} = k hence, by induction of step 2, we obtain that SnZS_{n} \in \mathbb{Z} for n=2,3,n = 2, 3, \ldots
It follows
{an}+{1an}=an+1an[an][1an]=Sn[an][1an]Z, \left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} = a^{n} + \frac{1}{a^{n}} - \left[ a^{n} \right] - \left[ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right] = S_{n} - \left[ a^{n} \right] - \left[ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right] \in \mathbb{Z},
that is {an}+{1an}Z\left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} \in \mathbb{Z}. We get {an}+{1an}{0,1}\left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} \in \{ 0, 1 \}. If {an}+{1an}=0\left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} = 0, then ana^{n} and 1an\frac{1}{a^{n}} are both integers, not possible. Therefore, {an}+{1an}=1\left\{ a^{n} \right\} + \left\{ \frac{1}{a^{n}} \right\} = 1, and we are done.

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