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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Estonia

A positive integer nn is given. There are nn computers in a network, numbered with natural numbers 1,2,,n1, 2, \dots, n. The computers are connected with one-way communication lines such that information can be sent from any computer to all other computers either directly or through other computers in the network. Initially, each computer only knows its own number. When a certain procedure is initiated on any computer, the computer outputs all the numbers of computers it knows and communicates them to all the computers it has direct lines to. The computer operator initiates this procedure on any selected computers in any chosen sequence (possibly multiple times on the same computer).
Prove that the minimum total number of procedure initiations, for which it is possible for all computers to have output the numbers of all computers at least once, does not depend on the network of lines, but only on the number nn, and find this number of initiations.

Solution

We will show that 2n12n - 1 initiations are necessary regardless of the network of lines. Consider an arbitrary sequence of initiations, at the end of which all computers have output the numbers of all computers. Let AA be the computer with the latest time of the initiation of the first procedure. Since the procedure has been initiated at least once in all other computers by that time, the order number of this initiation is at least nn. Therefore, after the first n1n - 1 initiations, no computer has output the number of computer AA. To ensure that each computer outputs the number of computer AA at least once, nn more initiations are needed. Thus, at least 2n12n - 1 initiations are necessary.

Now we will show that 2n12n - 1 initiations are sufficient regardless of the network of lines. Choose an arbitrary computer AA and construct a sequence of the remaining computers B1,B2,,Bn1B_1, B_2, \dots, B_{n-1} without repetition, such that each computer in this sequence can receive information directly from some preceding computer in this sequence or from computer AA. Such a sequence of length n1n - 1 indeed exists, because if at any step adding the next computer was not possible, then from none of the already included computers in the sequence nor from computer AA could information be sent directly to any of the remaining computers – which contradicts the condition of the problem that information can move between these computers via the network. Similarly, construct a sequence of computers C1,C2,,Cn1C_1, C_2, \dots, C_{n-1} without repetition, such that each computer in this sequence can send information directly to some preceding computer in this sequence or to computer AA. By symmetry considerations, such a sequence also exists. It turns out that a suitable
sequence of procedure initiations of length 2n12n - 1 is
Cn1,Cn2,,C1,A,B1,B2,,Bn1C_{n-1}, C_{n-2}, \dots, C_1, A, B_1, B_2, \dots, B_{n-1}.

We will prove this statement; for simplicity, denote C0=AC_0 = A. According to the construction of the sequence C1,C2,,Cn1C_1, C_2, \dots, C_{n-1}, each computer CiC_i where 0<i0 < i, sends its number to at least one computer CiC_{i'} where 0i<i0 \le i' < i. If 0<i0 < i', then computer CiC_{i'} in turn sends the number of computer CiC_i to at least one computer CiC_{i''} where 0i<i0 \le i'' < i'. Continuing in this way, the number of computer CiC_i reaches computer CjC_j for successively smaller indices jj. Since there are n1n-1 computers besides AA, the number of computer CiC_i must reach computer AA in at most n1n-1 steps. Since CiC_i was chosen arbitrarily, the numbers of all other computers reach computer AA within the first n1n-1 initiations of the procedure. It remains to note that during each subsequent initiation of the procedure, all computer numbers are output and transmitted. This is evidently done by computer AA, and when all computers B1,B2,,Bi1B_1, B_2, \dots, B_{i-1} have done this, then by the construction of the sequence B1,B2,,Bn1B_1, B_2, \dots, B_{n-1}, computer BiB_i also does this. Consequently, after 2n12n-1 initiations of the procedure, all computers have output the numbers of all computers at least once.

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