Determine all positive integers , , such that the following statement is true:
If is a sequence of positive integers with , then there is a block of (at least two) consecutive terms in the sequence with their (arithmetic) mean being an integer.
Solution
The statement is true for all but not for or . In those two cases, the sequences and provide counterexamples.
Now, let be any sequence of positive integers, and let for , and define . Let us say that a sequence is good if it satisfies the property in the problem (no block of length at least two has an integer arithmetic mean). Define to be a divisible pair if . It is clear that is good if and only if there is no divisible pair such that .
We will show that is not good if . Note that , and for each , . We consider several possible values of .
* Suppose . Since and , it follows that . Then .
* Suppose . Then .
* Suppose . Then .
* Suppose . Since , and can be no smaller than , there must be some between 2 and such that . Then .
We have thus shown that there is at least one divisible pair among the pairs , , , and , for some . Note that if , the two numbers in each of those pairs must differ by at least two. Thus, is not good when , finishing the proof.