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Number theory Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Silk Road Mathematics Competition

An infinite strictly increasing sequence of positive integers {an}n1\{a_n\}_{n\ge 1} is given. It is also given that ann+2020a_n \le n + 2020 and n3an1n^3 a_n - 1 is divisible by an+1a_{n+1} for any positive integer nn. Prove that an=na_n = n for any positive integer nn. (Kanat Satylkhanov)

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

By induction on nn it is easy to show that anna_n \ge n for any nn. Suppose that there exists a positive integer kk such that ak>ka_k > k. Let's choose such positive integer mm that m:2021!m : 2021! and m>km > k. Then for any i=2,3,,2021i = 2, 3, \dots, 2021, GCD(m,m+i)>1\text{GCD}(m, m + i) > 1. It follows from the problem statement that GCD(m,am+1)=1\text{GCD}(m, a_{m+1}) = 1. Since {an}\{a_n\} is strictly increasing and ak>ka_k > k, then am+1>m+1a_{m+1} > m + 1. Therefore, m+2am+1m+2021m + 2 \le a_{m+1} \le m + 2021, but then GCD(m,am+1)>1\text{GCD}(m, a_{m+1}) > 1 — a contradiction.

Solution 2

Let bn=annb_n = a_n - n for each nn. By induction on nn it is easy to show that bn0b_n \ge 0 for any nn. If bk>bk+1b_k > b_{k+1} for some kk, then
akk>ak+1k1    ak+1>ak+1    akak+1 a_k - k > a_{k+1} - k - 1 \implies a_k + 1 > a_{k+1} \implies a_k \ge a_{k+1}
— a contradiction. Thus, the sequence {bn}\{b_n\} is non-decreasing. On the other hand, it has an upper bound: bn=ann2020b_n = a_n - n \le 2020. Hence, there exists such non-negative integer kk and a positive integer tt that bn=kb_n = k for each ntn \ge t. So, for any ntn \ge t
an+1n3an1    n+k+1n3(n+k)1    n+k+1n3(n+k)1(n+k+1)(n3n2+n(k+1)(k+1)2)=(k+1)31    n+k+1(k+1)31. \begin{aligned} a_{n+1} \mid n^3 a_n - 1 &\implies n + k + 1 \mid n^3(n + k) - 1 \\ &\implies n + k + 1 \mid n^3(n + k) - 1 - (n + k + 1)(n^3 - n^2 + n(k + 1) - (k + 1)^2) = (k + 1)^3 - 1 \\ &\implies n + k + 1 \mid (k + 1)^3 - 1. \end{aligned}
But this is only possible when k=0k = 0. Therefore, bn=0b_n = 0 for each sufficiently large nn, and thus for all nn, i.e. an=na_n = n for all nn.

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