Let f(x)=2x3+5x−2. Then we have f′(x)=6x2+5>0, which means f(x) is strictly increasing. Furthermore, f(0)=−2<0, f(21)=43>0. Therefore, f(x) has a unique real root r∈(0,21). From 2r3+5r−2=0, we have
52=1−r3r=r+r4+r7+r10+…
Therefore, sequence an=3n−2 (n=1,2,…) satisfies the required condition.
Assume there are two different positive integer sequences
a1<a2<⋯<an<… and b1<b2<⋯<bn<…
satisfying
ra1+ra2+ra3+⋯=rb1+rb2+rb3+⋯=52
Deleting the terms that appear at both sides of the expression, we have
rs1+rs2+rs3+⋯=rt1+rt2+rt3+…
where s1<s2<s3<…, t1<t2<t3<… with all the si and tj different from each other.
We may as well assume that s1<t1. Then
rs1<rs1+rs2+…1<rt1−s1+rt2−s1+…=rt1+rt2+…,≤r+r2+…=1−r1−1<1−211−1=1.
It is a contradiction. This proves that {an} is unique.