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Croatian Mathematical Olympiad

Combinatorics Difficulty 7.0 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Croatia

Prove that it is possible to colour each positive integer with one of three colours so that the following conditions are satisfied:
i) For each n∈N0n \in \mathbb{N}_0, all positive integers xx such that 2n≤x<2n+12^n \le x < 2^{n+1} have the same colour.
ii) There are no positive integers xx, yy and zz of the same colour (except x=y=z=2x = y = z = 2) such that x+y=z2x+y=z^2. (B. Green, S. Lindqvist, arXiv:1608.08374)

Solution

Let cnc_n denote the colour of positive integers xx such that 2n≤x<2n+12^n \le x < 2^{n+1}. We will determine colours cnc_n inductively. First, let us choose c0c_0, c1c_1 and c2c_2 to be three different colours. Next, for each n≥3n \ge 3 let cnc_n be the colour different from c⌊n/2⌋c_{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor} and c⌊n/2⌋+1c_{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor+1}. Note that this is well-defined since ⌊n/2⌋+1<n\lfloor n/2 \rfloor + 1 < n for all n≥3n \ge 3.
By construction condition i) holds. Let us prove that condition ii) also holds. Let xx, yy and zz be positive integers of the same colour such that x+y=z2x + y = z^2. Without loss of generality we may assume that x≤yx \le y. Let nn be an integer such that 2n≤y<2n+12^n \le y < 2^{n+1}. Then we obviously have
2n<x+y<2n+2, 2^n < x + y < 2^{n+2},
and hence 2n/2<z<2(n+2)/22^{n/2} < z < 2^{(n+2)/2}. It follows that 2⌊n/2⌋<z<2⌊n/2⌋+22^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor} < z < 2^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor+2}. Since yy and zz have the same colour, by construction it follows that n≤2n \le 2. From here we conclude x≤y<8x \le y < 8 and z=2z = 2 or 33. Direct verification shows that the only possibility is x=y=z=2x = y = z = 2.

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