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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Two positive integers xx and yy are such that 20102011<xy<20112012\frac{2010}{2011} < \frac{x}{y} < \frac{2011}{2012}. Find the smallest possible value of the sum x+yx + y.
Neculai Stanciu

Solution

The fraction xy\frac{x}{y} is subunitary, hence x<yx < y, that is x=ydx = y - d, where dd is a positive integer. The given relation can be written 201112011<ydy<201212012\frac{2011-1}{2011} < \frac{y-d}{y} < \frac{2012-1}{2012} or 112011<1dy<1120121 - \frac{1}{2011} < 1 - \frac{d}{y} < 1 - \frac{1}{2012}, whence 12011>dy>12012\frac{1}{2011} > \frac{d}{y} > \frac{1}{2012} or d2011d>dy>d2012d\frac{d}{2011d} > \frac{d}{y} > \frac{d}{2012d}. This leads to 2011d<y<2012d2011d < y < 2012d. (1)

Relation (1) is impossible for d=1d = 1.

For d=2d = 2 we get 4022<y<40244022 < y < 4024, whence y=4023y = 4023. So x=4021x = 4021 and x+y=8044x + y = 8044.

For d3d \ge 3, 4021d120634021d \ge 12063. It follows x+y=2ydx + y = 2y - d. From y>2011dy > 2011d follows 2yd>4021d120632y - d > 4021d \ge 12063.

Consequently, the minimum possible value of the sum is obtained when d=2d = 2 and x+y=8044x + y = 8044.

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