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Number theory Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it United States

Let NN be the set of positive integers. Let f:NNf: \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N} be a function satisfying the following two conditions:

a. f(m)f(m) and f(n)f(n) are relatively prime whenever mm and nn are relatively prime.

b. nf(n)n+2012n \le f(n) \le n + 2012 for all nn.

Prove that for any natural number nn and any prime pp, if pp divides f(n)f(n) then pp divides nn.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let g(n)g(n) be the smallest prime factor of f(n)f(n). (Since f(n)nf(n) \ge n, f(n)f(n) must have a prime factor unless n=1n=1 and f(1)=1f(1)=1. In this case, we define g(1)=1g(1)=1.) First, we show that for any prime pp and any k1k \ge 1, f(pk)f(p^k) is a power of g(p)g(p).

Suppose for the sake of contradiction that f(pk)f(p^k) is not a power of g(p)g(p) for some pp and kk. Choose MM sufficiently large so that pk<M2013!p^k < M \cdot 2013!, and let PP be the set of primes less than or equal to M2013!+1M \cdot 2013! + 1. For any qPq \in P, we have
g(q)f(q)q+2012M2013!+2013, g(q) \le f(q) \le q + 2012 \le M \cdot 2013! + 2013,
and furthermore the numbers M2013!+iM \cdot 2013! + i are composite for 2i20132 \le i \le 2013. It follows that g(q)Pg(q) \in P, and so gg can be treated as a function from PP to PP. Clearly, gg is injective because f(q1)f(q_1) and f(q2)f(q_2) are relatively prime for any distinct q1,q2Pq_1, q_2 \in P. Then, gg is bijective and in particular surjective.

Now we can apply the same reasoning we used on primes in PP to pkp^k. We have
f(pk)pk+2012M2013!+2013, f(p^k) \le p^k + 2012 \le M \cdot 2013! + 2013,
and so f(pk)f(p^k) has only prime factors in PP. Suppose for the sake of contradiction that there is some prime qPq \in P not equal to g(p)g(p) which divides f(pk)f(p^k). Then, by the surjectivity of gg, there exists rPr \in P such that g(r)=qg(r) = q (and with rpr \neq p). We then find that pkp^k and rr are relatively prime, but qq divides both f(r)f(r) and f(pk)f(p^k), contradicting the first condition in the problem. It follows that f(pk)f(p^k) is a power of g(p)g(p), as claimed.

Next, we show that in fact g(p)=pg(p) = p. Indeed, suppose instead that g(p)=qpg(p) = q \neq p. Then, choose \ell sufficiently large so that q>2013q^\ell > 2013, and letting P=pqq1P = p^{q^\ell - q^{\ell-1}}, choose kk sufficiently large so that Pk>qP^k > q^\ell. We find that
Pk1k1modq. P^k \equiv 1^k \equiv 1 \bmod{q^\ell}.
By the second condition of the problem, the only possible residues of f(Pk)f(P^k) modulo qq^\ell are the numbers between 1 and 2013, so in particular, f(Pk)f(P^k) cannot be divisible by qq^\ell. On the other hand, f(Pk)Pk>qf(P^k) \ge P^k > q^\ell, so f(Pk)f(P^k) cannot be any power of qq, contradicting the fact that since PkP^k is a power of pp, f(Pk)f(P^k) must be a power of g(p)=qg(p) = q. This proves our claim that g(p)=pg(p) = p.

Finally, let pp be any prime, and let nn be any positive integer relatively prime to pp. Then, f(p)f(p) and f(n)f(n) are relatively prime, and since f(p)f(p) is a power of pp, it follows that f(n)f(n) is not divisible by pp. This is the contrapositive of the desired result, so we are done.

Solution 2

(By Gabriel Carroll) We first show that for any positive integer N>1N > 1 and residue rr, there exists a number LL such that LrmodNL \equiv r \bmod{N} and f(L)=Lf(L) = L.

To see this, let {pi,j1i,j2012}\{p_{i,j} \mid 1 \le i, j \le 2012\} be a set of distinct primes not dividing NN and larger than 2012. Also, let {qi1i2012}\{q_i \mid 1 \le i \le 2012\} be another disjoint set of primes, also not dividing NN and larger than 2012.

By the Chinese Remainder Theorem, there exists a positive integer KK such that the following congruences hold:

* Kimodpi,jK \equiv -i \bmod{p_{i,j}} for 1i,j20121 \le i, j \le 2012,
* K0modqiK \equiv 0 \bmod{q_i} for 1i20121 \le i \le 2012, and
* Kr+1modNK \equiv r + 1 \bmod{N}.

Note that since pi,j>2012p_{i,j} > 2012 and 1i20121 \le i \le 2012, it follows that KK is relatively prime to each pi,jp_{i,j}. Let PP be the product of the prime factors of KK not dividing NN and not equal to qiq_i for some ii.

By the Chinese Remainder Theorem again, there exists a positive integer LL such that the following congruences hold:

* Ljmodpi,jL \equiv -j \bmod{p_{i,j}} for 1i,j20121 \le i, j \le 2012,
* LimodqiL \equiv -i \bmod{q_i} for 1i20121 \le i \le 2012,
* LrmodNL \equiv r \bmod{N}, and
* L1modPL \equiv 1 \bmod{P}.

We first claim that KK and LL are relatively prime. Indeed, suppose for the sake of contradiction that a prime qq divided both KK and LL. By the construction of LL, qq cannot be a factor of PP or any of the qiq_i. Thus, the only remaining possibility is that qNq \mid N. However, KL1modNK - L \equiv 1 \bmod{N}, so this is impossible.

Thus, since KK and LL are relatively prime, we have by the first condition of the problem that f(K)f(K) and f(L)f(L) are relatively prime. Next, note that for any 1i,j20121 \le i, j \le 2012, we have
K+iL+j0mod pi,j, K + i \equiv L + j \equiv 0 \quad \text{mod } p_{i,j},
and for any 1j20121 \le j \le 2012, we have
KL+j0mod qj. K \equiv L + j \equiv 0 \quad \text{mod } q_j.
Recall from the second condition of the problem that f(K)f(K) and f(L)f(L) must take the forms K+iK + i and L+jL + j, respectively, where 0i,j20120 \le i, j \le 2012. It follows from the above considerations that we must have f(L)=Lf(L) = L, and by construction, we have Lr(modN)L \equiv r \pmod N, as desired.

We can now quickly finish the problem. Suppose for the sake of contradiction that there is a prime pp and a number nn such that pf(n)p \mid f(n) but pnp \nmid n. Take LL to be a positive integer such that Lp(modnp)L \equiv p \pmod{np} and f(L)=Lf(L) = L. Then, LL is relatively prime to nn, so f(n)f(n) is relatively prime to f(L)f(L). But f(L)=Lf(L) = L is divisible by pp, a contradiction.

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