Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2010

Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Prove it Estonia

The sequence (an)(a_n) is defined by a1=1a_1 = 1 and an=n(a1++an1)a_n = n \cdot (a_1 + \dots + a_{n-1}) for all n>1n > 1. Find all indices nn for which ana_n is divisible by 12n1 \cdot 2 \cdot \dots \cdot n. (Grade 12.)

Solution

For each n2n \ge 2 denote Sn=a1++an1S_n = a_1 + \dots + a_{n-1}. Then an=Snna_n = S_n \cdot n and for all n>2n > 2 we have Sn=Sn1+an1=Sn1+Sn1(n1)=Sn1nS_n = S_{n-1} + a_{n-1} = S_{n-1} + S_{n-1} \cdot (n-1) = S_{n-1} \cdot n. Hence Sn=Sn1n=Sn2(n1)n==S23n=n!2S_n = S_{n-1} \cdot n = S_{n-2} \cdot (n-1)n = \dots = S_2 \cdot 3 \cdot \dots \cdot n = \frac{n!}{2} because S2=1=122S_2 = 1 = \frac{1 \cdot 2}{2}. Consequently an=Snn=n!n2a_n = S_n \cdot n = n! \cdot \frac{n}{2} for all n2n \ge 2. Therefore, for n2n \ge 2, ana_n is divisible by n!n! iff nn is even, and n=1n=1 also satisfies the condition.

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