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Combinatorics Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it Austria

Let nn be a positive integer. What proportion of the non-empty subsets of {1,2,,2n}\{1, 2, \dots, 2n\} has a smallest element that is odd?
(Birgit Vera Schmidt)

Solution

The number of subsets of {1,2,,2n}\{1, 2, \dots, 2n\} that have kk as smallest element is 22nk2^{2n-k} for 1k2n1 \le k \le 2n since each element bigger than kk is either contained in the subset or not.
The number OO of subsets with an odd smallest element is therefore equal to
O=22n1+22n3++23+21=2(4n1+4n2++41+40). O = 2^{2n-1} + 2^{2n-3} + \dots + 2^3 + 2^1 = 2 \cdot (4^{n-1} + 4^{n-2} + \dots + 4^1 + 4^0).
The number EE of subsets with an even smallest element is equal to
E=22n2+22n4++22+20=4n1+4n2++41+40. E = 2^{2n-2} + 2^{2n-4} + \dots + 2^2 + 2^0 = 4^{n-1} + 4^{n-2} + \dots + 4^1 + 4^0.
This implies O=2EO = 2E and consequently the desired proportion is 2/32/3.
(Birgit Vera Schmidt) \square

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