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Number theory Difficulty 6.7 National olympiad Prove it China

Prove that for any real number M>2M > 2, there exists a strictly increasing infinite sequence of positive integers a1,a2,a_1, a_2, \dots satisfying both the following two conditions:
(1) ai>Mia_i > M^i for any positive integer ii.
(2) An integer nn is non-zero if and only if there exists a positive integer mm and b1,b2,,bm{1,1}b_1, b_2, \dots, b_m \in \{-1, 1\}, with n=b1a1+b2a2++bmamn = b_1a_1 + b_2a_2 + \dots + b_m a_m.

Solution

For given M>2M > 2, we construct by induction a sequence {an}\{a_n\} that satisfies the requirements. Take a1,a2a_1, a_2 that satisfy a2a1=1a_2 - a_1 = 1 and a1>M2a_1 > M^2. Now suppose a1,a2,,a2ka_1, a_2, \dots, a_{2k} are already chosen, such that ai>Mia_i > M^i, i=1,2,,2ki = 1, 2, \dots, 2k and such that the set Ak={b1a1++bmamb1,,bm=±1,1m2k}A_k = \{b_1a_1 + \dots + b_m a_m \mid b_1, \dots, b_m = \pm 1, 1 \le m \le 2k\} does not contain 00. It is obvious that AkA_k is symmetric, i.e., Ak=AkA_k = -A_k. A1={a1,a1,1,1}A_1 = \{a_1, -a_1, 1, -1\}.

Let nn be the smallest positive integer not in AkA_k, N=i=12kaiN = \sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i, now choose positive integers a2k+1,a2k+2a_{2k+1}, a_{2k+2} satisfying a2k+2a2k+1=N+na_{2k+2} - a_{2k+1} = N + n, a2k+1>M2k+2a_{2k+1} > M^{2k+2}, a2k+1>i=12kaia_{2k+1} > \sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i. We now show that Ak+1A_{k+1} does not contain 00 and nAk+1n \in A_{k+1}. First, n=i=12kaia2k+1+a2k+2n = -\sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i - a_{2k+1} + a_{2k+2}.

On the other hand, if i=1mbiai=0\sum_{i=1}^m b_i a_i = 0, m2k+2m \le 2k+2, as 0Ak0 \notin A_k, we must have m=2k+1m = 2k+1 or 2k+22k+2.

If m=2k+1m = 2k+1, then i=12k+1biaia2k+1i=12kai>0\left| \sum_{i=1}^{2k+1} b_i a_i \right| \ge a_{2k+1} - \sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i > 0.

If m=2k+2m = 2k + 2 and b2k+1b_{2k+1} and b2k+2b_{2k+2} are of the same sign, then
i=12k+2biaia2k+1+a2k+2i=12kai>0\left| \sum_{i=1}^{2k+2} b_i a_i \right| \ge a_{2k+1} + a_{2k+2} - \sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i > 0; if b2k+1b_{2k+1} and b2k+2b_{2k+2} are of different signs, then
i=12k+2biai=i=12kbiai±(a2k+1a2k+2)a2k+1a2k+2i=12kai=N+nN=n>0. \left| \sum_{i=1}^{2k+2} b_i a_i \right| = \left| \sum_{i=1}^{2k} b_i a_i \pm (a_{2k+1} - a_{2k+2}) \right| \ge | a_{2k+1} - a_{2k+2} | - \sum_{i=1}^{2k} a_i = N + n - N = n > 0.
The {an}\{a_n\} thus constructed satisfies the requirements since 00 is not contained in any AkA_k, and any non-zero integer between k-k and kk is contained in AkA_k. \square

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