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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Romania

Let mm and nn be positive integers, n2n \ge 2, let RR be an nn-element ring, and let xx be an element of RR such that 1xk1 - x^k is invertible for each k{m+1,m+2,,m+n1}k \in \{m+1, m+2, \dots, m+n-1\}. Show that xx is nilpotent (i.e., xp=0x^p = 0 for some positive integer pp).

Solution

Since 00 is nilpotent, we will assume in the sequel that x0x \ne 0.
Given a positive integer k<nk < n, notice that m+pm+p is divisible by kk for some positive integer p<np < n; write m+p=klm + p = kl. Since 1xm+p1 - x^{m+p} is invertible, and 1xm+p=(1xk)(1+xk++xk(1))=(1+xk++xk(1))(1xk)1 - x^{m+p} = (1 - x^k)(1 + x^k + \dots + x^{k(\ell-1)}) = (1 + x^k + \dots + x^{k(\ell-1)})(1 - x^k), it follows that 1xk1 - x^k is invertible.

Next, write 1xk=(1x)(1+x++xk1)=(1+x++xk1)(1x)1 - x^k = (1-x)(1+x+\dots+x^{k-1}) = (1+x+\dots+x^{k-1})(1-x), where we agree that x0=1x^0 = 1, to deduce that xk=1+x++xk1x_k = 1 + x + \dots + x^{k-1} is invertible for each positive integer k<nk < n and 1x1-x is invertible.

If the xkx_k were pairwise distinct, then by a cardinality argument RR would be an nn-element skew field, so xn1=1x^{n-1} = 1, that is (1x)xn1=0(1-x)x_{n-1} = 0, which is impossible since 1x1-x and xn1x_{n-1} are invertible.

Consequently, xp=xqx_p = x_q for some indices p<qp < q, so 0=xqxp=xpxqp0 = x_q - x_p = x^p x_{q-p} which implies xp=0x^p = 0, since xqpx_{q-p} is invertible.

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