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Number theory Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:
Let Ck=1k+1(2kk)C_{k} = \frac{1}{k+1} \binom{2k}{k} denote the kthk^{\text{th}} Catalan number and pp be an odd prime. Prove that exactly half of the numbers in the set
{k=1p1Cknkn{1,2,,p1}} \left\{\sum_{k=1}^{p-1} C_{k} n^{k} \mid n \in \{1,2, \ldots, p-1\}\right\}
are divisible by pp.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Solution:
We work in Fp[X]\mathbb{F}_{p}[X].
We claim that
(14X)p+121+2Xp+2Xk=0p1CkXk=0 (1-4 X)^{\frac{p+1}{2}}-1+2 X^{p}+2 X \sum_{k=0}^{p-1} C_{k} X^{k}=0
The solution follows from this claim, as
k=1p1Cknk0(modp)(14n)p+121+2np+2n0(modp) \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} C_{k} n^{k} \equiv 0 \quad(\bmod p) \Longleftrightarrow (1-4 n)^{\frac{p+1}{2}}-1+2 n^{p}+2 n \equiv 0 \quad(\bmod p)
Since npn(modp)n^{p} \equiv n \pmod{p}, this is equivalent to n14(modp)n \equiv \frac{1}{4} \pmod{p} or 14n1-4 n being a non-zero quadratic residue in Fp\mathbb{F}_{p}. But we must omit the solution of n=0n=0, so we get 1+(p121)=p121+\left(\frac{p-1}{2}-1\right)=\frac{p-1}{2} values of nn that work. Now we prove the claim. Observe the following facts:
- Cp1=12p1(2p1p)=1C_{p-1}=\frac{1}{2p-1}\binom{2p-1}{p}=-1 by Lucas' theorem.
- For p12<k<p1\frac{p-1}{2}<k<p-1,
νp(Ck)=νp((2k)!)νp((k+1)!)νp(k!)=1 \nu_{p}\left(C_{k}\right)=\nu_{p}((2k)!)-\nu_{p}((k+1)!)-\nu_{p}(k!)=1
since k+1<p2kk+1<p \leq 2k, so Ck=0C_{k}=0.
We show that the coefficient of XkX^{k} in the LHS is 0 for k=0,,pk=0, \ldots, p. This is obvious for k>p+12k>\frac{p+1}{2} and k=0k=0 by the above facts, as the coefficient is 2+2Cp12+2 C_{p-1} for k=pk=p, 2Ck2 C_{k} for p+12<k<p\frac{p+1}{2}<k<p, and 0 for k=0k=0.
Now for 1kp+121 \leq k \leq \frac{p+1}{2}, the coefficient is (p+12k)(4)k+2Ck1=0\binom{\frac{p+1}{2}}{k}(-4)^{k}+2 C_{k-1}=0. Write
(p+12k)=p+12p12p32p2k+32k!=12(12)(32)(2k32)k!=(1)k12k13(2k3)k!=(1)k12k(2k2)!2k1(k1)!k!=2Ck1(4)k \begin{aligned} \binom{\frac{p+1}{2}}{k} & =\frac{\frac{p+1}{2} \cdot \frac{p-1}{2} \cdot \frac{p-3}{2} \cdots \frac{p-2k+3}{2}}{k!} \\ & =\frac{\frac{1}{2} \cdot\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right) \cdot\left(-\frac{3}{2}\right) \cdots\left(-\frac{2k-3}{2}\right)}{k!} \\ & =\frac{(-1)^{k-1}}{2^{k}} \cdot \frac{1 \cdot 3 \cdots (2k-3)}{k!} \\ & =\frac{(-1)^{k-1}}{2^{k}} \cdot \frac{(2k-2)!}{2^{k-1}(k-1)!k!} \\ & =-\frac{2 C_{k-1}}{(-4)^{k}} \end{aligned}
so the coefficient is 0 .

Solution 2

Solution:
We present an alternate proof of the key claim. Use the same starting facts as before.
Let Q(X)=2+k=0p12CkXk=2+Xp1+k=0p1CkXkQ(X) = -2 + \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}} C_{k} X^{k} = -2 + X^{p-1} + \sum_{k=0}^{p-1} C_{k} X^{k}.
Square QQ and multiply by XX to get
XQ2=4X4Xk=0p12CkXk+X(k=0p12CkXk)2=4X4XQ+Xk=0p2j=0kCjCkjXk+Cp122Xp=4X4XQ+k=0p2Ck+1Xk+1+4Xp=4X4XQ+Q+1Xp1+4Xp=(14X)Q(14X)(Xp11) \begin{aligned} X Q^{2} & = 4X - 4X \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}} C_{k} X^{k} + X\left(\sum_{k=0}^{\frac{p-1}{2}} C_{k} X^{k}\right)^{2} \\ & = -4X - 4X Q + X \sum_{k=0}^{p-2} \sum_{j=0}^{k} C_{j} C_{k-j} X^{k} + C_{\frac{p-1}{2}}^{2} X^{p} \\ & = -4X - 4X Q + \sum_{k=0}^{p-2} C_{k+1} X^{k+1} + 4 X^{p} \\ & = -4X - 4X Q + Q + 1 - X^{p-1} + 4 X^{p} \\ & = (1-4X) Q - (1-4X)(X^{p-1} - 1) \end{aligned}
It follows that
0=4X(XQ2(14X)Q+(14X)(Xp11))=4X2Q24X(14X)Q+4(14X)(XpX)=4X2Q24X(14X)Q+(14X)2(14X)p+1=(2XQ+(14X)p+12(14X))(2XQ(14X)p+12(14X)). \begin{aligned} 0 & = 4X \cdot \left(X Q^{2} - (1-4X) Q + (1-4X)(X^{p-1} - 1)\right) \\ & = 4X^{2} Q^{2} - 4X(1-4X) Q + 4(1-4X)(X^{p} - X) \\ & = 4X^{2} Q^{2} - 4X(1-4X) Q + (1-4X)^{2} - (1-4X)^{p+1} \\ & = \left(2X Q + (1-4X)^{\frac{p+1}{2}} - (1-4X)\right) \cdot \left(2X Q - (1-4X)^{\frac{p+1}{2}} - (1-4X)\right) . \end{aligned}
Evaluating the second factor at 0 gives 2-2, so it is not the zero polynomial. Thus the first factor is the zero polynomial, from which the claim follows.

Solution 3

Solution:
We prove the following generalization: Let qq be a power of pp. Then the polynomial k=1q1CkXk\sum_{k=1}^{q-1} C_{k} X^{k} has q+12\frac{q+1}{2} roots in Fq\mathbb{F}_{q} and p+12\frac{p+1}{2} roots in Fp\mathbb{F}_{p}. It once again suffices to prove the key claim, just with pp replaced by qq.
Work in Fq[[X]]\mathbb{F}_{q}[[X]], the ring of formal power series over Fq\mathbb{F}_{q}. Then
k=0(2kk)Xk=(14X)12=(14X)q12((14X)q)12=(14X)q12(14Xq)12=(14X)q12k=0(2kk)Xqk \begin{aligned} \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} \binom{2k}{k} X^{k} & = (1-4X)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \\ & = (1-4X)^{\frac{q-1}{2}} \left((1-4X)^{q}\right)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \\ & = (1-4X)^{\frac{q-1}{2}} \left(1-4X^{q}\right)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \\ & = (1-4X)^{\frac{q-1}{2}} \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} \binom{2k}{k} X^{qk} \end{aligned}
Taking both sides mod XqX^{q},
k=0q1(2kk)Xk=(14X)q12 \sum_{k=0}^{q-1} \binom{2k}{k} X^{k} = (1-4X)^{\frac{q-1}{2}}
Then using (2qq)=2\binom{2q}{q} = 2, we have
14X=(14X)(14X)12(14X)((14X)q12+2Xq)(modXq+1) \sqrt{1-4X} = (1-4X) \cdot (1-4X)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \equiv (1-4X) \cdot \left((1-4X)^{\frac{q-1}{2}} + 2 X^{q}\right) \quad \left(\bmod X^{q+1}\right)
so
Xk=0CkXk=114X21(14X)q+122Xq2(modXq+1) X \sum_{k=0}^{\infty} C_{k} X^{k} = \frac{1-\sqrt{1-4X}}{2} \equiv \frac{1-(1-4X)^{\frac{q+1}{2}} - 2 X^{q}}{2} \quad \left(\bmod X^{q+1}\right)
from which the claim follows.
Alternatively, one can also finish by integrating (14X)p12(1-4X)^{\frac{p-1}{2}}, noting that the "constant of integration" is no longer a constant but rather a polynomial of the form a+bXpa + b X^{p}.

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