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Number theory Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it United States

Let nn be a positive integer. Find, with proof, the least positive integer dnd_n which cannot be expressed in the form
i=1n(1)ai2bi, \sum_{i=1}^{n} (-1)^{a_i} 2^{b_i},
where aia_i and bib_i are nonnegative integers for each ii.

Solution

The answer is dn=22n+1+13d_n = \dfrac{2^{2n+1} + 1}{3}. We first show that dnd_n cannot be obtained. For any pp let t(p)t(p) be the minimum nn required to express pp in the desired form and call any realization of this minimum a minimal representation. If pp is even, any sequence of bib_i that can produce pp must contain an even number of zeros. If this number is nonzero, then canceling one against another or replacing two with a bi=1b_i = 1 term would reduce the number of terms in the sum. Thus a minimal representation cannot contain a bi=0b_i = 0 term, and by dividing each term by two we see that t(2m)=t(m)t(2m) = t(m). If pp is odd, there must be at least one bi=0b_i = 0 and removing it gives a sequence that produces either p1p-1 or p+1p+1. Hence
t(2m1)=1+min(t(2m2),t(2m))=1+min(t(m1),t(m)). t(2m-1) = 1 + \min(t(2m-2), t(2m)) = 1 + \min(t(m-1), t(m)).
With dnd_n as defined above and cn=22n13c_n = \dfrac{2^{2n} - 1}{3}, we have d0=c1=1d_0 = c_1 = 1, so t(d0)=t(c1)=1t(d_0) = t(c_1) = 1 and
t(dn)=1+min(t(dn1),t(cn))andt(cn)=1+min(t(dn1),t(cn1)). t(d_n) = 1 + \min(t(d_{n-1}), t(c_n)) \quad \text{and} \quad t(c_n) = 1 + \min(t(d_{n-1}), t(c_{n-1})).
Hence, by induction, t(cn)=nt(c_n) = n and t(dn)=n+1t(d_n) = n+1 and dnd_n cannot be obtained by a sum with nn terms.

Next we show by induction on nn that any positive integer less than dnd_n can be obtained with nn terms. By the inductive hypothesis and symmetry about zero, it suffices to show that by adding one summand we can reach every pp in the range dn1p<dnd_{n-1} \le p < d_n from an integer qq in the range dn1<q<dn1-d_{n-1} < q < d_{n-1}. Suppose that cn+1pdn1c_n + 1 \le p \le d_n - 1. By using a term 22n12^{2n-1}, we see that t(p)1+t(p22n1)t(p) \le 1 + t(|p - 2^{2n-1}|). Since dn122n1=22n1(cn+1)=dn11d_n - 1 - 2^{2n-1} = 2^{2n-1} - (c_n + 1) = d_{n-1} - 1, it follows from the inductive hypothesis that t(p)nt(p) \le n. Now suppose that dn1pcnd_{n-1} \le p \le c_n. By using a term 22n22^{2n-2}, we see that t(p)1+t(p22n2)t(p) \le 1 + t(|p - 2^{2n-2}|). Since cn22n2=22n2dn1=cn1<dn1c_n - 2^{2n-2} = 2^{2n-2} - d_{n-1} = c_{n-1} < d_{n-1}, it again follows that t(p)nt(p) \le n.

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