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Mongolian Mathematical Olympiad

Combinatorics Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Let Iσ={∣σi−i∣:i∈I}I_{\sigma} = \{ |\sigma_i - i| : i \in I \} be sets formed by every permutation σ=(σ1,σ2,…,σ2014)\sigma = (\sigma_1, \sigma_2, \dots, \sigma_{2014}) of the set I={1,2,…,2014}I = \{1, 2, \dots, 2014\}. Find all possible values of ∣Iσ∣|I_{\sigma}|.

Solution

If σ={2014,2013,…,1008,1,1007,1006,…,2}\sigma = \{2014, 2013, \dots, 1008, 1, 1007, 1006, \dots, 2\} then ∣Iσ∣=2013|I_\sigma| = 2013.
If σ={2013,2012,…,1008,1007,1,1006,1005,…,2,2014}\sigma = \{2013, 2012, \dots, 1008, 1007, 1, 1006, 1005, \dots, 2, 2014\} then ∣Iσ∣=2012|I_\sigma| = 2012.
If σ={2k,2k−1,…,k+1,1,k,k−1,…,2,2k+1,2k+2,…,2014}\sigma = \{2k, 2k-1, \dots, k+1, 1, k, k-1, \dots, 2, 2k+1, 2k+2, \dots, 2014\} then ∣Iσ∣=2k−1|I_\sigma| = 2k-1; k=1,…,1007k = 1, \dots, 1007.
If σ={2k+1,2k,…,k+2,1,k+1,k,…,2,2k+2,2k+3,…,2014}\sigma = \{2k+1, 2k, \dots, k+2, 1, k+1, k, \dots, 2, 2k+2, 2k+3, \dots, 2014\} then ∣Iσ∣=2k|I_\sigma| = 2k, k=1,…,1006k = 1, \dots, 1006.
If σ={1,2,…,2014}\sigma = \{1, 2, \dots, 2014\} then ∣Iσ∣=1|I_\sigma| = 1.
In other words, ∣Iσ∣|I_\sigma| takes values 1,2,…,20131, 2, \dots, 2013.

Now let's prove that ∣Iσ∣≠2014|I_\sigma| \neq 2014. If ∣Iσ∣=2014|I_\sigma| = 2014 then Iσ={0,1,2,…,2013}I_\sigma = \{0, 1, 2, \dots, 2013\}. Since Iσ={∣σi−i∣:i∈I}I_\sigma = \{|\sigma_i - i|: i \in I\}, we get ∑i∈I(σi−i)=0\sum_{i \in I} (\sigma_i - i) = 0. On the other hand, among the numbers ±0,±1,±2,…,±2013\pm 0, \pm 1, \pm 2, \dots, \pm 2013 there is no number equal to 00 because there are 10071007 odd numbers, namely 1,3,…,20131, 3, \dots, 2013. The result of addition and subtraction of these 10071007 numbers is an odd number, and the result of addition or subtraction of odd and even numbers is odd too. Therefore, we conclude that ∣Iσ∣≠2014|I_\sigma| \neq 2014 and ∣Iσ∣|I_\sigma| takes values 1,2,…,20131, 2, \dots, 2013 only.

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