Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /14 of 23

Combinatorics Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it United States

Let nn be an odd integer greater than 11 and let c1,c2,,cnc_1, c_2, \dots, c_n be integers. For each permutation a=(a1,a2,,an)a = (a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\}, define S(a)=i=1nciaiS(a) = \sum_{i=1}^n c_i a_i. Prove that there exist permutations bb and cc, bcb \neq c, such that n!n! divides S(b)S(c)S(b) - S(c).

Solution

First Solution. Let a\sum_a denote the sum over all n!n! permutations a=(a1,a2,,an)a = (a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n). We compute aS(a)modn!\sum_a S(a) \mod n! in two ways, one of which assuming that the desired conclusion is false, and reach a contradiction.

Suppose, for the sake of contradiction, that the claim is false. Then each S(a)S(a) must have a different remainder modn!\mod n!. Since there are exactly n!n! such permutations aa, there exists exactly one permutation aa such that S(a)s(modn!)S(a) \equiv s \pmod{n!} for each s=1,2,,n!s = 1, 2, \dots, n!. Since n>1n > 1, n!n! is even and n!+1n! + 1 is odd. Hence,
aS(a)s=1n!sn!2(n!+1)(modn!), \sum_a S(a) \equiv \sum_{s=1}^{n!} s \equiv \frac{n!}{2} \cdot (n! + 1) \pmod{n!},
or
aS(a)n!2(modn!).(1) \sum_a S(a) \equiv \frac{n!}{2} \pmod{n!}. \qquad (1)
On the other hand, for i,k{1,,n}i, k \in \{1, \dots, n\}, we have ai=ka_i = k in exactly (n1)!(n-1)! permutations aa. Thus, for 1in1 \le i \le n,
aai=(n1)!(1+2++n)=n!n+12. \sum_a a_i = (n-1)!(1+2+\dots+n) = n! \cdot \frac{n+1}{2}.
Hence,
aS(a)=ai=1nciai=ai=1nciai=i=1n(ciaai). \sum_a S(a) = \sum_a \sum_{i=1}^n c_i a_i = \sum_a \sum_{i=1}^n c_i a_i = \sum_{i=1}^n \left( c_i \sum_a a_i \right).
Because n+1n+1 is even, n!n! divides aai=n!n+12\sum_a a_i = n! \cdot \frac{n+1}{2} for each ii. It follows that n!n! divides aS(a)\sum_a S(a), contradicting (1). Therefore, the initial assumption was false, and there do exist distinct permutations bb and cc such that n!n! is a divisor of S(b)S(c)S(b) - S(c).

Second Solution. (by Liang Xiao, China) Let n=2m+1n = 2m + 1, and let rr be the number of indices ii such that cic_i is odd. For a permutation a=(a1,a2,,an)a = (a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\}, let
T(a)=i=1nicai=ca1+2ca2++ncan, T(a) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} i c_{a_i} = c_{a_1} + 2c_{a_2} + \dots + nc_{a_n},
and let λa\lambda_a be the number of indices ii such that both ii and caic_{a_i} are odd. Note that T(a)T(a) is equal S(a)S(a) in a different order.
For any given positive integer λ\lambda, 0λr0 \le \lambda \le r, we count the number of permutations aa of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\} with λa=λ\lambda_a = \lambda. There are (m+1λ)\binom{m+1}{\lambda} ways to choose λ\lambda numbers i1,i2,,iλi_1, i_2, \dots, i_\lambda from the set {1,3,,2m+1}\{1, 3, \dots, 2m+1\} and (mrλ)\binom{m}{r-\lambda} ways to choose rλr-\lambda numbers j1,j2,,jrλj_1, j_2, \dots, j_{r-\lambda} from the set {2,4,,2m}\{2, 4, \dots, 2m\}. Once the numbers i1,,iλ,j1,,jrλi_1, \dots, i_\lambda, j_1, \dots, j_{r-\lambda} have been chosen, there are r!(nr)!r!(n-r)! permutations a=(a1,a2,,an)a = (a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\} such that cai1,,caiλc_{a_{i_1}}, \dots, c_{a_{i_\lambda}} and caj1,,cajrλc_{a_{j_1}}, \dots, c_{a_{j_{r-\lambda}}} are all odd. Thus, there are
r!(nr)!(m+1λ)(mrλ) r!(n-r)! \binom{m+1}{\lambda} \binom{m}{r-\lambda}
permutations aa of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\} such that λa=λ\lambda_a = \lambda.

Let EE and OO be the number of permutations aa of {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\} such that S(a)S(a) is even and odd, respectively. Then
E=r!(nr)!2λ(m+1λ)(mrλ),E = r!(n-r)! \sum_{2|\lambda} \binom{m+1}{\lambda} \binom{m}{r-\lambda},
O=r!(nr)!2λ(m+1λ)(mrλ),O = r!(n-r)! \sum_{2|\lambda} \binom{m+1}{\lambda} \binom{m}{r-\lambda},
and
EO=r!(nr)!λ=0r(1)λ(m+1λ)(mrλ). E - O = r!(n-r)! \sum_{\lambda=0}^{r} (-1)^{\lambda} \binom{m+1}{\lambda} \binom{m}{r-\lambda}.
Denote by [xk]h(x)[x^k]h(x) the coefficient of xkx^k in a power series h(x)h(x). Let g1(x)=(1x)m+1g_1(x) = (1-x)^{m+1}, g2(x)=(1+x)mg_2(x) = (1+x)^m, and f(x)=g1(x)g2(x)f(x) = g_1(x)g_2(x). Then
[xr]f(x)=λ=0r([xλ]g1(x))([xrλ]g2(x))[x^r]f(x) = \sum_{\lambda=0}^{r} ([x^\lambda]g_1(x)) ([x^{r-\lambda}]g_2(x))
=λ=0r(1)λ(m+1λ)(mrλ).= \sum_{\lambda=0}^{r} (-1)^\lambda \binom{m+1}{\lambda} \binom{m}{r-\lambda}.
On the other hand,
f(x)=(1x2)m(1x)=i=0m(mi)(1)ix2i(1x)f(x) = (1 - x^2)^m (1 - x) = \sum_{i=0}^{m} \binom{m}{i} (-1)^i x^{2i} (1 - x)
=i=0m(mi)((1)ix2i+(1)i+1x2i+1).= \sum_{i=0}^{m} \binom{m}{i} ((-1)^i x^{2i} + (-1)^{i+1} x^{2i+1}).
Therefore,
[xr]f(x)=mr+12(1)r+120, [x^r]f(x) = \left\lfloor \frac{m}{\frac{r+1}{2}} \right\rfloor \cdot (-1)^{\left\lfloor \frac{r+1}{2} \right\rfloor} \neq 0,
implying that EO0E - O \neq 0.
In order for the desired result to be false, for each number ii from 11 to n!n!, there must be exactly one permutation aa of 1,2,,n1, 2, \dots, n such that S(a)i(modn!)S(a) \equiv i \pmod{n!}. As n!n! is even, this implies that E=OE = O, contradicting that fact EO0E - O \neq 0. Thus, we have proven the desired conclusion.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.