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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National olympiad Prove it Ukraine

Determine all pairs (a,b)(a, b) for which the following condition holds: there exists index n0n_0 such that the sequence (an+an+1),nn0(a_n + a_{n+1}), n \ge n_0 is non-decreasing.

Consider a sequence (an)(a_n): a1=a,a2=ba_1 = a, a_2 = b, where aa and bb are positive integers, and for all n2n \ge 2 an+1a_{n+1} equals the number of indexes i,1ini, 1 \le i \le n, such that ai=ana_i = a_n.

Solution

If a=b=1a = b = 1 then (an)(a_n) has terms (1;1;2;1;3;1;4;1;5;1;...)(1; 1; 2; 1; 3; 1; 4; 1; 5; 1; ...), and (an+an+1)(a_n + a_{n+1}) has terms (2;3;3;4;4;5;5;6;6;7;...)(2; 3; 3; 4; 4; 5; 5; 6; 6; 7; ...).
Therefore a=b=1a = b = 1 satisfies the condition of the question.

Let a1=aa_1 = a and a2=ba_2 = b. Suppose that a11a_1 \ne 1 or a21a_2 \ne 1. Without loss of generality it can be assumed that a11a_1 \ne 1 (if not then we just swap a1,a2a_1, a_2). It is clear that (an)(a_n) is unbounded. Indeed, if max{ai:iN}=s\max\{a_i : i \in \mathbb{N}\} = s then there must be at least s+1s+1 equal numbers among {a1,a2,...,as+1}\{a_1, a_2, ..., a_{s+1}\}. Thus the next number is greater or equal to s+1s+1. Contradiction.
Now, assume that for nn0n \ge n_0 sequence (an+an+1)(a_n + a_{n+1}) is non-decreasing. Consider a number kn0+1k \ge n_0 + 1 such that ak=tmax{a,b}+1a_k = t \ge \max\{a, b\} + 1 and this is the first number tt in the sequence. Obviously, all numbers before aka_k are lower than tt. Then ak+1=1a_{k+1} = 1 and since (an+an+1)(a_n + a_{n+1}) is non-decreasing, it follows that ak1=1a_{k-1} = 1. Thus there exist exactly tt indexes {1<i1<i2<...<it=k1}\{1 < i_1 < i_2 < ... < i_t = k-1\} such that ai1=ai2=...=ait=1a_{i_1} = a_{i_2} = ... = a_{i_t} = 1. Hence numbers {ai11;ai21;...,ait1}\{a_{i_1-1}; a_{i_2-1}; ..., a_{i_t-1}\} are lower or equal to t1t-1 and there must be at least two equal numbers among {ai11;ai21;...,ait1}\{a_{i_1-1}; a_{i_2-1}; ..., a_{i_t-1}\}. Therefore, there must be at least two equal pairs {...,l,1,...}\{..., l, 1, ...\} in our sequence. However, after the second number ll it must be at least 2. Contradiction.

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