Number theoryDifficulty 6.7National olympiadProve itChina
Prove that for any real number M>2, there exists a strictly increasing infinite sequence of positive integers a1,a2,… satisfying both the following two conditions: (1) ai>Mi for any positive integer i. (2) An integer n is non-zero if and only if there exists a positive integer m and b1,b2,…,bm∈{−1,1}, with n=b1a1+b2a2+⋯+bmam.
Solution
For given M>2, we construct by induction a sequence {an} that satisfies the requirements. Take a1,a2 that satisfy a2−a1=1 and a1>M2. Now suppose a1,a2,…,a2k are already chosen, such that ai>Mi, i=1,2,…,2k and such that the set Ak={b1a1+⋯+bmam∣b1,…,bm=±1,1≤m≤2k} does not contain 0. It is obvious that Ak is symmetric, i.e., Ak=−Ak. A1={a1,−a1,1,−1}.
Let n be the smallest positive integer not in Ak, N=∑i=12kai, now choose positive integers a2k+1,a2k+2 satisfying a2k+2−a2k+1=N+n, a2k+1>M2k+2, a2k+1>∑i=12kai. We now show that Ak+1 does not contain 0 and n∈Ak+1. First, n=−∑i=12kai−a2k+1+a2k+2.
On the other hand, if ∑i=1mbiai=0, m≤2k+2, as 0∈/Ak, we must have m=2k+1 or 2k+2.
If m=2k+1, then ∑i=12k+1biai≥a2k+1−∑i=12kai>0.
If m=2k+2 and b2k+1 and b2k+2 are of the same sign, then ∑i=12k+2biai≥a2k+1+a2k+2−∑i=12kai>0; if b2k+1 and b2k+2 are of different signs, then i=1∑2k+2biai=i=1∑2kbiai±(a2k+1−a2k+2)≥∣a2k+1−a2k+2∣−i=1∑2kai=N+n−N=n>0. The {an} thus constructed satisfies the requirements since 0 is not contained in any Ak, and any non-zero integer between −k and k is contained in Ak. □
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