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Combinatorics Difficulty 6.2 National olympiad Prove it Iran

A partial sum of nn real numbers a1,a2,...,ana_1, a_2, ..., a_n is the sum of some of them; that is, ϵ1a1+ϵ2a2+...+ϵnan\epsilon_1 a_1 + \epsilon_2 a_2 + ... + \epsilon_n a_n, where for each 1in1 \le i \le n, ϵi\epsilon_i is either 0 or 1 and at least one of them is nonzero. Now, having these partial sums, we want to find the numbers.

Years ago a valuable list containing nn real (not necessarily distinct) numbers and all their 2n12^n - 1 partial sums was shown to the public in a museum. Some strange creatures from the planet Hot Dog (after being defeated in solving the Rotund Polygon problem!) have stolen our original nn numbers and the only thing that is left are those 2n12^n - 1 partial sums.

a) Prove that if all the partial sums are positive, all the stolen numbers can be determined uniquely.

b) Suppose that some of the partial sums are positive and some of them negative, but none of them zero. Prove that still all the stolen numbers can be determined uniquely.

c) Prove that for n=1392n = 1392, an example can be constructed to show it's not possible to determine all of the stolen numbers uniquely, by only having their 2n12^n - 1 partial sums.

Solution

a) Let a1a2ana_1 \le a_2 \le \dots \le a_n be the stolen numbers. Since all the partial sums are positive, all the stolen numbers must be positive. Obviously a1a_1 is the smallest number among the partial sums. Suppose that numbers a1,a2,,aia_1, a_2, \dots, a_i have been determined. Omit all the partial sums of a1,a2,,aia_1, a_2, \dots, a_i from the partial sums of a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n. The smallest number among the remaining numbers, must be ai+1a_{i+1}, so all the numbers will be determined uniquely.

b) Suppose that a1ak<0ak+1ana_1 \le \dots \le a_k < 0 \le a_{k+1} \le \dots \le a_n are the stolen numbers and s1s2s2n1s_1 \le s_2 \le \dots \le s_{2^n-1} are the partial sums. Note that if s1>0s_1 > 0, the problem is already solved in part (a). Therefore, we can assume that s1<0s_1 < 0. We have
(1+xa1)(1+xa2)(1+xan)=1+xs1+xs2++xs2n1. (1 + x^{a_1})(1 + x^{a_2})\cdots(1 + x^{a_n}) = 1 + x^{s_1} + x^{s_2} + \cdots + x^{s_{2^n-1}}.
Obviously, s1s_1 is the sum of negative numbers a1,a2,,aka_1, a_2, \dots, a_k. Multiplying the above equation by xs1x^{-s_1} implies
(1+xa1)(1+xak)(1+xak+1)(1+xan)=xs1+xs1s1+xs2s1++xs2n1s1. (1+x^{-a_1})\cdots(1+x^{-a_k})(1+x^{a_{k+1}})\cdots(1+x^{a_n}) = x^{-s_1}+x^{s_1-s_1}+x^{s_2-s_1}+\cdots+x^{s_{2^n-1}-s_1}.
Hence we can say that we have the partial sums of stolen numbers a1,a2,,an|a_1|, |a_2|, \dots, |a_n|, and by part a, it is possible to find them uniquely.
Finally, we must show that xs1x^{s_1} can be uniquely written as a product of xaix^{a_i}'s. If there were two ways to do this, we would obtain a partial sum of aia_i's equal to 0, which leads to a contradiction.

c) The partial sums of two sets {1,2,3}\{1, 2, -3\} and {1,2,3}\{-1, -2, 3\} are the same, so adding 1389 0's to these sets will not change the partial sums.

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