Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / China Team Selection Test /83 of 92

China Team Selection Test, 2022

Number theory Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it China

Given a positive integer nn, let DD denote the set of all positive divisors of nn. Let AA and BB be subsets of DD satisfying: for any a∈Aa \in A and b∈Bb \in B, we have a∤ba \nmid b and b∤ab \nmid a. Prove that
∣A∣+∣B∣≤∣D∣. \sqrt{|A|} + \sqrt{|B|} \le \sqrt{|D|}.

Solution

Proof: Decompose DD into the following disjoint unions D=X⊔Y⊔Z⊔WD = X \sqcup Y \sqcup Z \sqcup W, where
X={x∈D:∃a∣x,∃b∣x},Y={x∈D:∃a∣x,∄b∣x}, X = \{x \in D : \exists a | x, \exists b | x\}, \quad Y = \{x \in D : \exists a | x, \nexists b | x\},
Z={x∈D:∄a∣x,∃b∣x},W={x∈D:∄a∣x,∄b∣x}. Z = \{x \in D : \nexists a | x, \exists b | x\}, \quad W = \{x \in D : \nexists a | x, \nexists b | x\}.
Note that the assumption of the problem indicates that A⊆Y,B⊆ZA \subseteq Y, B \subseteq Z. It suffices to prove a stronger statement: for any two nonempty subsets A,BA, B of DD, we always have ∣Y∣+∣Z∣≤∣D∣\sqrt{|Y|} + \sqrt{|Z|} \le \sqrt{|D|}. This inequality is equivalent to
∣Y∣+∣Z∣+2∣Y∣⋅∣Z∣≤∣D∣=∣X∣+∣Y∣+∣Z∣+∣W∣  ⟺  2∣Y∣⋅∣Z∣≤∣X∣+∣W∣, |Y| + |Z| + 2\sqrt{|Y| \cdot |Z|} \le |D| = |X| + |Y| + |Z| + |W| \iff 2\sqrt{|Y| \cdot |Z|} \le |X| + |W|,
This inequality is implied by ∣Y∣⋅∣Z∣≤∣X∣⋅∣W∣|Y| \cdot |Z| \le |X| \cdot |W|, which can be further rewritten as
(∣X∣+∣Y∣)(∣X∣+∣Z∣)=∣X∣(∣X∣+∣Y∣+∣Z∣)+∣Y∣⋅∣Z∣≤∣X∣(∣X∣+∣Y∣+∣Z∣)+∣X∣⋅∣W∣=∣X∣⋅∣D∣. (|X|+|Y|)(|X|+|Z|) = |X|(|X|+|Y|+|Z|)+|Y|\cdot|Z| \le |X|(|X|+|Y|+|Z|)+|X|\cdot|W| = |X|\cdot|D|.
Let U=X∪YU = X \cup Y and V=X∪ZV = X \cup Z. Then the above inequality becomes ∣U∣⋅∣V∣≤∣U∩V∣⋅∣D∣|U| \cdot |V| \le |U \cap V| \cdot |D|.
Note that U={x∈D:∃a∣x}U = \{x \in D : \exists a | x\} satisfies: if x∈Ux \in U and x∣x′x | x', then x′∈Ux' \in U. Call such subsets of DD upward-closed. Similarly, V={x∈D:∃b∣x}V = \{x \in D : \exists b | x\} is also an upward-closed subset of DD.
Next, we prove: for any two nonempty upward-closed subsets U,VU, V of DD, we have ∣U∣⋅∣V∣≤∣U∩V∣⋅∣D∣|U| \cdot |V| \le |U \cap V| \cdot |D|.
Let n=p1α1⋯pkαkn = p_1^{\alpha_1} \cdots p_k^{\alpha_k} be the prime factorization of nn, and we make an induction on kk. Write pp and α\alpha for pkp_k and αk\alpha_k, respectively, for simplicity. Set n=pαn′n = p^{\alpha}n'. Define Dk={x∈D∣vp(x)=k}D_k = \{x \in D | v_p(x) = k\}, Uk=U∩DkU_k = U \cap D_k, and Vk=V∩DkV_k = V \cap D_k. For every k=0,1,…,α−1k = 0, 1, \dots, \alpha - 1, for any x∈Ukx \in U_k, the upward-closure property of UU implies that px∈Uk+1px \in U_{k+1}. This means that ∣Uk∣≤∣Uk+1∣|U_k| \le |U_{k+1}|, i.e. {∣Uk∣}k\{|U_k|\}_k is increasing. Similarly, {∣Vk∣}k\{|V_k|\}_k is increasing. Note that 1pkUk\frac{1}{p^k}U_k and 1pkVk\frac{1}{p^k}V_k are upward-closed subsets of 1pkDk=D(n′)\frac{1}{p^k}D_k = D(n'). But inductive hypothesis, we have
∣(1pkUk)∩(1pkVk)∣≥1∣D(n′)∣⋅∣(1pkUk)∣⋅∣(1pkVk)∣, |(\frac{1}{p^k}U_k) \cap (\frac{1}{p^k}V_k)| \ge \frac{1}{|D(n')|} \cdot |(\frac{1}{p^k}U_k)| \cdot |(\frac{1}{p^k}V_k)|,
So we have ∣Uk∩Vk∣≥1+α∣D∣∣Uk∣⋅∣Vk∣|U_k \cap V_k| \ge \frac{1+\alpha}{|D|} |U_k| \cdot |V_k|. Using rearrangement inequality, we get
∣U∩V∣=∑k=0α∣Uk∩Vk∣≥1+α∣D∣∑k=0α∣Uk∣⋅∣Vk∣≥1+α∣D∣⋅11+α(∑k=0α∣Uk∣)⋅(∑k=0α∣Vk∣)=1∣D∣∣U∣⋅∣V∣. \begin{aligned} |U \cap V| &= \sum_{k=0}^{\alpha} |U_k \cap V_k| \ge \frac{1+\alpha}{|D|} \sum_{k=0}^{\alpha} |U_k| \cdot |V_k| \\ &\ge \frac{1+\alpha}{|D|} \cdot \frac{1}{1+\alpha} \left( \sum_{k=0}^{\alpha} |U_k| \right) \cdot \left( \sum_{k=0}^{\alpha} |V_k| \right) \\ &= \frac{1}{|D|} |U| \cdot |V|. \end{aligned}

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,604 problems in a working order, from Junior Challenge level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.