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Final Round of National Olympiad

Number theory Difficulty 6.7 National Olympiad Prove it Estonia

In the product
(1+11)⋅(1+13)⋅(1+15)⋯(1+12n−1) \left(1 + \frac{1}{1}\right) \cdot \left(1 + \frac{1}{3}\right) \cdot \left(1 + \frac{1}{5}\right) \cdots \left(1 + \frac{1}{2n-1}\right)
the denominators of the fractions are all odd numbers from 11 to (2n−1)(2n - 1). Is it possible to choose a natural number n>1n > 1 such that this product would evaluate to an integer?

Solution

By manipulating the given product we get
(1+11)⋅(1+13)⋅(1+15)⋯(1+12n−1)=21⋅43⋅65⋯2n2n−1=2⋅4⋅6⋯2n1⋅3⋅5⋯(2n−1). \begin{aligned} \left(1 + \frac{1}{1}\right) \cdot \left(1 + \frac{1}{3}\right) \cdot \left(1 + \frac{1}{5}\right) \cdots \left(1 + \frac{1}{2n-1}\right) &= \frac{2}{1} \cdot \frac{4}{3} \cdot \frac{6}{5} \cdots \frac{2n}{2n-1} \\ &= \frac{2 \cdot 4 \cdot 6 \cdots 2n}{1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdots (2n-1)}. \end{aligned}
For it to be an integer, the number 2⋅4⋅6⋯2n2 \cdot 4 \cdot 6 \cdots 2n should be divisible by 1⋅3⋅5⋯(2n−1)1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdots (2n - 1). But since
2⋅4⋅6⋯2n=(2⋅1)⋅(2⋅2)⋅(2⋅3)⋯(2⋅n)=2n⋅(1⋅2⋅3⋯n) 2 \cdot 4 \cdot 6 \cdots 2n = (2 \cdot 1) \cdot (2 \cdot 2) \cdot (2 \cdot 3) \cdots (2 \cdot n) = 2^n \cdot (1 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdots n)
and number 1⋅3⋅5⋯(2n−1)1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdots (2n - 1) is odd, number 1⋅2⋅3⋯n1 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdots n should be divisible by 1⋅3⋅5⋯(2n−1)1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdots (2n - 1). In case of n>1n > 1 this is impossible, because 1⋅2⋅3⋯n<1⋅3⋅5⋯(2n−1)1 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 \cdots n < 1 \cdot 3 \cdot 5 \cdots (2n - 1).

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.