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Belarus competition problems

Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

The sequence of positive integers a1,a2,a3,…a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots, for each integer i≥3i \ge 3 satisfy the equality
ai+1=ai+gcd⁡(ai−1,ai−2). a_{i+1} = a_i + \gcd(a_{i-1}, a_{i-2}).
Prove that there exist positive integers NN and MM such that for each n≥Nn \ge N holds an+1−an=Ma_{n+1} - a_n = M. (Palina Chernikava)

Solution

Since the term a1a_1 is involved only in the summand gcd⁡(a1,a2)\gcd(a_1, a_2) when calculating a4a_4, without loss of generality we can assume that a1=gcd⁡(a1,a2)a_1 = \gcd(a_1, a_2). If the numbers a1,a2a_1, a_2 and a3a_3 are divisible by the same number, then all the numbers in the sequence (an)(a_n) are divided by this number and we can take it out as a common factor. Therefore without loss of generality we assume that gcd⁡(a1,a2,a3)=1\gcd(a_1, a_2, a_3) = 1, which is equivalent to gcd⁡(a1,a3)=1\gcd(a_1, a_3) = 1. Denote gcd⁡(a2,a3)=d\gcd(a_2, a_3) = d, then a2=bda_2 = bd and a3=cda_3 = cd, where bb and cc are coprime positive integers such that a1∣ba_1 \mid b and gcd⁡(a1,cd)=1\gcd(a_1, cd) = 1. Let's find the first consecutive members of the sequence:
a4=a3+gcd⁡(a1,a2)=a3+a1=cd+a1, a_4 = a_3 + \gcd(a_1, a_2) = a_3 + a_1 = cd + a_1,
a5=a4+gcd⁡(a2,a3)=a4+d=cd+a1+d, a_5 = a_4 + \gcd(a_2, a_3) = a_4 + d = cd + a_1 + d,
a6=a5+gcd⁡(a3,a4)=a5+gcd⁡(cd,cd+a1)==a5+gcd⁡(cd,a1)=a5+1, \begin{aligned} a_6 &= a_5 + \gcd(a_3, a_4) = a_5 + \gcd(cd, cd + a_1) = \\ &= a_5 + \gcd(cd, a_1) = a_5 + 1, \end{aligned}
a7=a6+gcd⁡(a4,a5)=a6+gcd⁡(cd+a1,cd+a1+d)==a6+gcd⁡(cd+a1,d)=a6+gcd⁡(a1,d)=a6+1. \begin{aligned} a_7 &= a_6 + \gcd(a_4, a_5) = a_6 + \gcd(cd + a_1, cd + a_1 + d) = \\ &= a_6 + \gcd(cd + a_1, d) = a_6 + \gcd(a_1, d) = a_6 + 1. \end{aligned}
Since three consecutive numbers a5,a6a_5, a_6 and a7a_7 differ by one, i.e. neighboring numbers are coprime, then all subsequent numbers will also differ by one, i.e., for any n≥5n \ge 5, the equality an+1−an=1a_{n+1} - a_n = 1 will be true.

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