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Number theory Difficulty 8.1 Shortlist Prove it China

Prove that for any odd prime number pp, the number of positive integers nn satisfying pn!+1p \mid n! + 1 is no more than cp23c p^{\frac{2}{3}}, where cc is a constant number independent of pp. (Posed by Yu Hongbing)

Solution

Proof Clearly, if nn satisfies the required property, then 1np11 \le n \le p-1. Denote all such nn's by n1<n2<<nkn_1 < n_2 < \cdots < n_k; we shall show that k12p23k \le 12 p^{\frac{2}{3}}. If k12k \le 12 there is nothing to prove. In what follows, we assume that k>12k > 12.

Rename ni+1nin_{i+1} - n_i (1ik11 \le i \le k-1) in nondecreasing order as
1μ1μ2μk11 \le \mu_1 \le \mu_2 \le \cdots \le \mu_{k-1}. It is clear that
i=1k1μi=i=1k(ni+1ni)=nkn1<p.1 \sum_{i=1}^{k-1} \mu_i = \sum_{i=1}^{k} (n_{i+1} - n_i) = n_k - n_1 < p. \quad \textcircled{1}
First, we show that for any s1s \ge 1,
{1ik1:μi=s}s,2 | \{ 1 \le i \le k-1 : \mu_i = s \} | \le s, \qquad \textcircled{2}
i.e. there are at most ss μi\mu_i's equal to ss.
In fact, suppose that ni+1ni=sn_{i+1} - n_i = s; then ni!+1ni+1!+10(modp)n_i! + 1 \equiv n_{i+1}! + 1 \equiv 0 \pmod{p}, so (p,ni!)=1(p, n_i!) = 1, and
(ni+s)(ni+s1)(ni+1)1(modp). (n_i + s)(n_i + s - 1)\cdots(n_i + 1) \equiv 1 \pmod p.
Thus, nin_i is a solution to the congruence equation
(x+s)(x+s1)(x+1)1(modp). (x + s)(x + s - 1)\cdots(x + 1) \equiv 1 \pmod p.
Since pp is a prime number, there are at most ss solutions to the above equation, thanks to Lagrange's theorem. Thus, there are at most ss nin_i's with ni+1ni=sn_{i+1} - n_i = s, i.e. ② holds.

Now, we show that for any nonnegative integer ll, if l(l+1)2+1k1\frac{l(l+1)}{2} + 1 \le k - 1, then μl(l+1)2+1l+1\mu_{\frac{l(l+1)}{2}+1} \ge l + 1. Suppose on the contrary that μl(l+1)2+1l\mu_{\frac{l(l+1)}{2}+1} \le l. Then μ1,μ2,,μl(l+1)2+1\mu_1, \mu_2, \dots, \mu_{\frac{l(l+1)}{2}+1} are all positive integers between 11 and ll. By ②, there is at most one μi\mu_i equal to 11, at most two μi\mu_i's equal to 22, \dots, at most ll μi\mu_i's equal to ll, and thus there are at most 1+2++l=l(l+1)21+2+\dots+l = \frac{l(l+1)}{2} μi\mu_i's less than or equal to ll, which contradicts the assumption that μ1,μ2,,μl(l+1)2+1\mu_1, \mu_2, \dots, \mu_{\frac{l(l+1)}{2}+1} are all less than or equal to ll.

Let mm be the largest positive integer with m(m+1)2+1k1\frac{m(m+1)}{2} + 1 \le k - 1. Then
m(m+1)2+1k1<(m+1)(m+2)2+1, \frac{m(m+1)}{2} + 1 \le k - 1 < \frac{(m+1)(m+2)}{2} + 1, \quad \text{③}
and hence
i=1k1μii=0m1(i+1)2=m(m+1)(2m+1)6>m33. \begin{aligned} \sum_{i=1}^{k-1} \mu_i &\ge \sum_{i=0}^{m-1} (i+1)^2 \\ &= \frac{m(m+1)(2m+1)}{6} > \frac{m^3}{3}. \end{aligned}
Since k>12k > 12, m4m \ge 4, combining ① and ③ we get
k<2+(m+1)(m+2)2<4m2+4(3i=1k1μi)23<4×(3p)23. \begin{aligned} k &< 2 + \frac{(m+1)(m+2)}{2} \\ &< 4m^2 + 4 \left( 3 \sum_{i=1}^{k-1} \mu_i \right)^{\frac{2}{3}} \\ &< 4 \times (3p)^{\frac{2}{3}}. \end{aligned}
This completes our proof.

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