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Algebra Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Prove it China

The sequence {xn}\{x_n\} is defined by x1=2x_1 = 2, x2=12x_2 = 12, xn+2=6xn+1xnx_{n+2} = 6x_{n+1} - x_n, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \dots. Let pp be an odd prime number. Let qq be a prime number such that qxpq \mid x_p. Prove that if q2q \neq 2, then q2p1q \ge 2p - 1.

Solution

It is easy to see
xn=122((3+22)n(322)n),n=1,2, x_n = \frac{1}{2\sqrt{2}}\left((3+2\sqrt{2})^n - (3-2\sqrt{2})^n\right), \quad n = 1, 2, \dots
Let an,bna_n, b_n be positive integers and an+bn2=(3+22)na_n + b_n\sqrt{2} = (3+2\sqrt{2})^n. Then
anbn2=(322)n, a_n - b_n\sqrt{2} = (3 - 2\sqrt{2})^n,
so xn=bnx_n = b_n, and an22bn2=1a_n^2 - 2b_n^2 = 1, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \dots

Suppose q2q \neq 2. Since qxpq \mid x_p, thus qbpq \mid b_p, so there exists a term in {bn}\{b_n\} which is divisible by qq. Let dd be the least number such that qbdq \mid b_d. We have the following lemma.

Lemma For any positive integer nn, qbnq \mid b_n if and only if dnd \mid n.

Proof: For a,b,c,dZa, b, c, d \in \mathbb{Z}, denote a+b2c+d2(modq)a+b\sqrt{2} \equiv c+d\sqrt{2} \pmod{q} as ac(modq)a \equiv c \pmod{q} and bd(modq)b \equiv d \pmod{q}.

If dnd \mid n, write n=dun = du, then
an+bn2=(3+22)duadu(modq), a_n + b_n \sqrt{2} = (3 + 2\sqrt{2})^{du} \equiv a_d^u \pmod{q},
so bn0(modq)b_n \equiv 0 \pmod{q}.

On the other hand, if qbnq \mid b_n, write n=du+rn = du + r, 0r<d0 \le r < d. Suppose r1r \ge 1, from
an=(3+22)n=(3+22)du(3+22)radu(ar+br2)(modq), \begin{aligned} a_n &= (3 + 2\sqrt{2})^n = (3 + 2\sqrt{2})^{du} \cdot (3 + 2\sqrt{2})^r \\ &\equiv a_d^u (a_r + b_r\sqrt{2}) \pmod{q}, \end{aligned}
we have
adubr0(modq).1 a_d^u b_r \equiv 0 \pmod{q}. \qquad \textcircled{1}
But ad22bd2=1a_d^2 - 2b_d^2 = 1, and qbdq \mid b_d; so qad2q \nmid a_d^2. Since qq is a prime, therefore qadq \nmid a_d, and (q,adu)=1(q, a_d^u) = 1. From (1) we have qbrq \mid b_r, it contradicts the definition of dd. So r=0r = 0, and the lemma is proven.

Now, as qq is a prime, so q(qi)q \mid \binom{q}{i}, i=1,2,,q1i = 1, 2, \dots, q-1.

Using Fermat's little theorem, we have
3q3(modq),2q2(modq). 3^q \equiv 3 \pmod{q}, \quad 2^q \equiv 2 \pmod{q}.
As q2q \neq 2, so 2q12±1(modq)2^{\frac{q-1}{2}} \equiv \pm 1 \pmod{q}, we get
(3+22)q=i=0q(qi)3qi(22)i3q+(22)q=3q+2q2q1223±22(modq). \begin{aligned} (3+2\sqrt{2})^q &= \sum_{i=0}^{q} \binom{q}{i} \cdot 3^{q-i} (2\sqrt{2})^i \\ &\equiv 3^q + (2\sqrt{2})^q \\ &= 3^q + 2^q \cdot 2^{\frac{q-1}{2}} \sqrt{2} \\ &\equiv 3 \pm 2\sqrt{2} \pmod{q}. \end{aligned}
By the same argument, we have
(3+22)q2(3±22)q3+22(modq). (3+2\sqrt{2})^{q^2} \equiv (3 \pm 2\sqrt{2})^q \equiv 3+2\sqrt{2} \pmod{q}.
So
(aq21+2bq21)(3+22)3+22(modq). (a_{q^2-1} + \sqrt{2}b_{q^2-1})(3 + 2\sqrt{2}) \equiv 3 + 2\sqrt{2} \pmod{q}.
Thus,
{3aq21+4bq213(modq),2aq21+3bq212(modq). \begin{cases} 3a_{q^2-1} + 4b_{q^2-1} \equiv 3 \pmod{q}, \\ 2a_{q^2-1} + 3b_{q^2-1} \equiv 2 \pmod{q}. \end{cases}
We know that qbq21q \mid b_{q^2-1}.

Since qbpq \mid b_p, from the lemma, we have dpd \mid p. So d{1,p}d \in \{1, p\}, and if d=1d = 1, then qb1=2q \mid b_1 = 2, contradiction! So d=pd = p, hence qbq21q \mid b_{q^2-1}. So pq21p \mid q^2-1, thus pq1p \mid q-1 or pq+1p \mid q+1. Since q1q-1 and q+1q+1 are even, so q2p1q \ge 2p-1.

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