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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Ukraine

For each pair of integers a,ba, b a non-negative integer aba*b is defined such that it satisfies the following two conditions:
1) (a+b)b=ab+1(a+b)*b = a*b+1;
2) (ab)(ba)=0(a*b) \cdot (b*a) = 0.
Find values of the expressions 20161212016*121 and 20161442016*144.

Solution

Answer: 2016121=162016 * 121 = 16, 2016144=132016 * 144 = 13.

Suppose there are two positive integers a,ba, b. Let us rewrite them as follows: a=bq+ra = bq + r, where qq is a non-negative integer, rr is a positive integer and rbr \le b. We prove that under such conditions ab=qa*b = q.

If in the second condition aN\forall a \in \mathbb{N} we put a=ba = b, then we will obtain aa=0a*a = 0. If we suppose that ab=0a*b = 0, and in condition 1) put a1+b1=aa_1 + b_1 = a, b1=bb_1 = b, then we obtain
(a1+b1)b1=a1b1+1 or ab=(ab)b+1. (a_1 + b_1)*b_1 = a_1*b_1 + 1 \text{ or } a*b = (a-b)*b + 1.
But this contradicts the definition of the operation, because in such case for positive integers aba-b and bb the operation is not defined, because then (ab)b=1(a-b)*b = -1, which is impossible. Thus, for a>ba > b ba=0b*a = 0.

Now suppose a>ba > b and a=bq+ra = bq + r, q,rNq, r \in \mathbb{N}, rbr \le b. Then
rb=0(r+b)b=rb+1=1((r+b)+b)b=(r+b)b+1=2(r+qb)b=((r+(q1)b)+b)b+1=q1+1=q, \begin{align*} & r*b = 0 \Rightarrow (r + b)*b = r*b + 1 = 1 \Rightarrow ((r + b) + b)*b = (r + b)*b + 1 = 2 \Rightarrow \dots \\ & \qquad (r + qb)*b = ((r + (q-1)b) + b)*b + 1 = q-1 + 1 = q, \end{align*}

Finally we obtain
2016=12116+802016121=16,2016=14414=14413+1442016144=13. \begin{aligned} 2016 &= 121 \cdot 16 + 80 &\Rightarrow 2016 * 121 &= 16, \\ 2016 &= 144 \cdot 14 = 144 \cdot 13 + 144 &\Rightarrow 2016 * 144 &= 13. \end{aligned}

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.