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Number theory Difficulty 6.8 National Olympiad Prove it United States

A rational number xx is given. Prove that there exists a sequence x0,x1,x2,…x_0, x_1, x_2, \dots of rational numbers with the following properties:

a. x0=xx_0 = x;

b. for every n≥1n \ge 1, either xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} or xn=2xn−1+1nx_n = 2x_{n-1} + \frac{1}{n};

c. xnx_n is an integer for some nn.

(This problem was suggested by Gabriel Carroll.)

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let xx be written in lowest terms as p/qp/q, and write q=2rsq = 2^r s, where ss is odd. Let SS be the set of residue classes modulo ss, where arithmetic on elements of SS is understood to be done modulo ss. For any positive integer NN and any t∈St \in S, say that tt is attainable at NN if there exists a sequence x0,x1,…,xNx_0, x_1, \dots, x_N such that

* x0=xx_0 = x;
* xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} or xn=2xn−1+1/nx_n = 2x_{n-1} + 1/n for each n=1,…,Nn = 1, \dots, N;
* sxNs x_N is an integer in the residue class tt.

Say that a subset T⊆ST \subseteq S is attainable at NN if every element of TT is attainable at NN.

Lemma 1. There exists a nonempty set attainable at some NN.

Proof. Taking xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} for all nn, we get xr=2rx=p/sx_r = 2^r x = p/s, in lowest terms, hence the residue class of pp is attainable at rr. □\square

Lemma 2. If the nonempty subset T⊆ST \subseteq S is attainable at NN, and TT is not all of SS, then there exist another subset T′T' and N′>NN' > N, with T′T' attainable at N′N', and T′T' containing more elements than TT.

Proof. Choose kk such that 2ks>N2^k s > N, and put N′=2ks+kN' = 2^k s + k.

For each t∈Tt \in T, the residue class 2N′−Nt2^{N'-N} t is attainable at N′N'. Indeed, if x0,…,xNx_0, \dots, x_N attain tt at NN, then just extend the sequence by defining xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} for each n=N+1,…,N′n = N+1, \dots, N', and we have xN′=2N′−NxNx_{N'} = 2^{N'-N} x_N from which the assertion follows.

Also, the residue class 2N′−Nt+12^{N'-N} t + 1 is attainable at N′N'. Indeed, take the sequence x0,…,xNx_0, \dots, x_N attaining tt at NN, then define xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} for each n=N+1,…,N′n = N+1, \dots, N' except for n=2ksn = 2^k s, in which case we put xn=2xn−1+1/nx_n = 2x_{n-1} + 1/n. Then we have xN′=2N′−NxN+2N′−2ks/2ks=2N′−NxN+1/sx_{N'} = 2^{N'-N} x_N + 2^{N'-2^k s}/2^k s = 2^{N'-N} x_N + 1/s, from which the assertion follows.

So the two sets of residues
T1′={2N′−Nt∣t∈T}andT2′={2N′−Nt+1∣t∈T} T'_1 = \{2^{N'-N} t \mid t \in T\} \quad \text{and} \quad T'_2 = \{2^{N'-N} t + 1 \mid t \in T\}
are both attainable at N′N'. Also, T1′T'_1 has the same number of elements as TT, since 2N′−N2^{N'-N} is relatively prime to ss.

There must be some t∈T1′t \in T'_1 such that t+1∉T1′t + 1 \notin T'_1: Otherwise, starting from any element of T1′T'_1 and applying induction, we could show that every element of SS must be in T1′T'_1; but since T1′T'_1 has the same number of elements as TT, which by assumption is a proper subset of SS, this is impossible. Hence, T2′T'_2 contains some element not in T1′T'_1. So their union T′=T1′∪T2′T' = T'_1 \cup T'_2, which again is attainable at N′N', contains strictly more elements than T1′T'_1, and so contains more elements than TT. This completes the proof. □\square

Now, using Lemma 1 and Lemma 2, we can successively construct nonempty subsets T1,T2,T3,…T_1, T_2, T_3, \dots having progressively more elements, each attainable at some N1,N2,N3,…N_1, N_2, N_3, \dots respectively. This process cannot continue forever, since each TiT_i is contained in the finite set SS. Therefore, it must eventually stop, which happens when some TiT_i is all of SS. In particular, the residue class 0∈Ti0 \in T_i is attainable at NiN_i. This means that we can construct x0,x1,…,xNix_0, x_1, \dots, x_{N_i} with xNix_{N_i} an integer. Then just take xn=2xn−1x_n = 2x_{n-1} for each n≥Ni+1n \ge N_i + 1, and we have an infinite sequence satisfying the conditions of the problem.

Solution 2

Suppose that xm∈Q∖Zx_m \in \mathbb{Q} \setminus \mathbb{Z} is given, where m≥0m \ge 0. Let pp be the largest prime divisor of the denominator of xmx_m, and write
xm=abpk x_m = \frac{a}{b p^k}
where p∤ap \nmid a and p∤bp \nmid b. We show that we can reach a value xnx_n, n>mn > m, whose denominator has at most k−1k-1 factors of pp and no larger prime divisors. Using this successively, we can decrease the largest prime divisor of the denominator until no factors are left.

If p=2p=2, we may take n=m+1n=m+1 with xn=2xmx_n = 2x_m. Therefore, we will now assume that p≥3p \ge 3.

Our procedure for constructing xm+1,…,xnx_{m+1}, \dots, x_n will be to take xi+1=2xix_{i+1} = 2x_i for m≤i<n−1m \le i < n-1 and
xn=2xn−1+1n=2n−mxm+1n=2n−mabpk+1n. x_n = 2x_{n-1} + \frac{1}{n} = 2^{n-m} x_m + \frac{1}{n} = \frac{2^{n-m} a}{b p^k} + \frac{1}{n}.
We consider nn of the form cpk(p−1)c p^k (p-1), where all prime factors of cc are less than pp. Then
xn=2cpk(p−1)−m⋅abpk+1cpk(p−1)=2cpk(p−1)ac(p−1)+2mb2mbcpk(p−1). x_n = \frac{2^{c p^k (p-1) - m} \cdot a}{b p^k} + \frac{1}{c p^k (p-1)} = \frac{2^{c p^k (p-1)} a c (p-1) + 2^m b}{2^m b c p^k (p-1)}.
Since the denominator of this expression has exactly kk factors of pp and no larger prime divisors, it suffices to show that we can choose cc such that the numerator is divisible by pp. Mod pp, we have 2cpk(p−1)≡1(modp)2^{c p^k (p-1)} \equiv 1 \pmod{p} so we want
ac≡2mb(modp). a c \equiv 2^m b \pmod{p}.
Since p∤ap \nmid a, p∤bp \nmid b, and p≠2p \ne 2, this condition has a unique solution c=c0c = c_0, 1≤c0≤p−11 \le c_0 \le p-1. We may now take c=2ℓ(p−1)c0c = 2^{\ell(p-1)} c_0 where ℓ\ell is large enough so that n=cpk(p−1)>mn = c p^k (p-1) > m. This value of cc clearly has no prime factors greater than or equal to pp.

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