Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it United States

Problem:
Determine all pairs (n,k)(n, k) of integers such that 0<k<n0 < k < n and
(nk1)+(nk+1)=2(nk) \binom{n}{k-1} + \binom{n}{k+1} = 2 \binom{n}{k}

Solution

Solution:
In the factorial form,
n!(k1)!(nk+1)!+n!(k+1)!(nk1)!=2n!k!(nk)! \frac{n!}{(k-1)!(n-k+1)!} + \frac{n!}{(k+1)!(n-k-1)!} = \frac{2 \cdot n!}{k!(n-k)!}
we multiply through by (k+1)!(nk+1)!(k+1)!(n-k+1)! to clear the fractions and then divide through by n!n!:
k(k+1)+(nk)(nk+1)=2(k+1)(nk+1) k(k+1) + (n-k)(n-k+1) = 2(k+1)(n-k+1)
To decrease the number of terms, we let k+1=ak+1 = a and nk+1=bn-k+1 = b:
(a1)a+(b1)b=2aba22ab+b2=a+b(ab)2=a+b \begin{gathered} (a-1)a + (b-1)b = 2ab \\ a^2 - 2ab + b^2 = a + b \\ (a-b)^2 = a + b \end{gathered}
If we let ab=ca-b = c, then a+b=c2a + b = c^2 and we get
a=c2+c2andb=c2c2 a = \frac{c^2 + c}{2} \quad \text{and} \quad b = \frac{c^2 - c}{2}
Here any integer value of cc will yield nonnegative integer values of aa and bb; however, the condition 0<k<n0 < k < n requires that a=k+1a = k+1 and b=nk+1b = n-k+1 are each at least 22. Hence the values c=2,1,0,1,2c = -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 are excluded, while every c3c \leq -3 and every c3c \geq 3 will yield permissible values for
k=a1=c2+c22 k = a - 1 = \frac{c^2 + c - 2}{2}
and
n=a+b2=c22 n = a + b - 2 = c^2 - 2
which satisfy the equation.

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