Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2010

Number theory Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it India

Is there a positive integer nn, which is a multiple of 103103, such that 22n+12(modn)2^{2n+1} \equiv 2 \pmod n?

Solution

We show that there is no such positive integer nn. Suppose the contrary; assume that a positive integer nn exists such that 22n+12(modn)2^{2n+1} \equiv 2 \pmod n and 103n103 \nmid n. Then 22n+12(mod103)2^{2n+1} \equiv 2 \pmod{103} as well; and as such 22n1(mod103)2^{2n} \equiv 1 \pmod{103}. Since 103103 is prime, Fermat's little theorem gives 21021(mod103)2^{102} \equiv 1 \pmod{103}. If d1=gcd(102,2n)d_1 = \gcd(102, 2n), it follows that 2d11(mod103)2^{d_1} \equiv 1 \pmod{103}. But 102=2×3×17102 = 2 \times 3 \times 17. It is easy to rule out d1=2,3,6d_1 = 2, 3, 6. Hence 17d117 \mid d_1. In turn 17n17 \nmid n.

Again, using that 1717 is a factor of nn, we get 22n+12(mod17)2^{2n+1} \equiv 2 \pmod{17} or 22n1(mod17)2^{2n} \equiv 1 \pmod{17}. Now 1717 being a prime, Fermat's little theorem implies that 2161(mod17)2^{16} \equiv 1 \pmod{17}. If d2=gcd(16,2n)d_2 = \gcd(16, 2n), we see that d2d_2 is a power of 22 and 2d21(mod17)2^{d_2} \equiv 1 \pmod{17}. We see that d2=2,4d_2 = 2, 4 do not fit in. Hence d2=8d_2 = 8 or 1616. But then d22nd_2 \nmid 2n shows that 4n4 \nmid n. Hence 22n+12(mod4)2^{2n+1} \equiv 2 \pmod 4, which may be seen to be impossible. Hence no such nn exists.

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