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Number theory Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Spain

Let p1,p2,,pn+1p_1, p_2, \dots, p_{n+1} denote the first n+1n+1 primes. Suppose that {A,B}\{A, B\} is a partition of the set X={p1,p2,,pn}X = \{p_1, p_2, \dots, p_n\}, where A={q1,q2,,qs}A = \{q_1, q_2, \dots, q_s\} and B={r1,r2,,rt}B = \{r_1, r_2, \dots, r_t\}. Prove that if m=q1q2qs+r1r2rt<pn+12m = q_1q_2\dots q_s + r_1r_2\dots r_t < p_{n+1}^2, then mm is a prime.

Solution

Assume to the contrary, that mm is not a prime number. Then m=abm = ab for some integers aa and bb with 1<a<m1 < a < m and 1<b<m1 < b < m. Let pp be the smallest prime that divides aa and let qq be the smallest prime that divides bb. WLOG we may assume that pqp \le q. We now consider two cases according to whether pXp \in X or pXp \notin X.

* If pXp \in X, then either p=qip = q_i for some ii with 1is1 \le i \le s or p=rjp = r_j for some jj with 1jt1 \le j \le t, but not both ({A,B}\{A, B\} is a partition). Suppose that p=qip = q_i where 1is1 \le i \le s. Since pap \mid a, then pmp \mid m. Also pq1q2qsp \mid q_1q_2\dots q_s. Thus p(mq1q2qs)p \mid (m - q_1q_2\dots q_s) and so pr1r2rtp \mid r_1r_2\dots r_t. This implies that p=rjp = r_j for some jj with 1jt1 \le j \le t. Contradiction.

* If pXp \notin X, then qppn+1q \ge p \ge p_{n+1} and so mpqpn+12m \ge pq \ge p_{n+1}^2. Contradiction.

From the preceding we conclude that mm is prime, and we are done.

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