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HMMT February, 2022

Number theory Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:
Let ff be a function from {1,2,…,22}\{1,2, \ldots, 22\} to the positive integers such that mn∣f(m)+f(n)m n \mid f(m)+f(n) for all m,n∈{1,2,…,22}m, n \in \{1,2, \ldots, 22\}. If dd is the number of positive divisors of f(20)f(20), compute the minimum possible value of dd.
Proposed by: Sheldon Kieren Tan

Solution

Solution:
Let L=lcm⁡(1,2,…,22)L=\operatorname{lcm}(1,2, \ldots, 22). We claim that the possible values of f(20)f(20) are the multiples of 20L20 L. If we can prove this, we will be done, since the minimum value of dd will be the number of divisors of 20L=26⋅32⋅52⋅7⋅11⋅13⋅17⋅1920 L=2^{6} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5^{2} \cdot 7 \cdot 11 \cdot 13 \cdot 17 \cdot 19, which has 7⋅32⋅25=20167 \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 2^{5}=2016 factors.

First let's construct such an ff. For any positive integer aa, I claim that f(n)=aLnf(n)=a L n works. Indeed, for any m,nm, n, we find that f(m)=aLmf(m)=a L m is divisible by mnm n, since n∣Ln \mid L. Thus the condition is satisfied.

Now let's prove that f(20)f(20) must be a multiple of 20L20 L. Take any prime pp, and let qq be the largest power of pp at most 2222. If p≠2p \neq 2, we know that q2∣2f(q)q^{2} \mid 2 f(q), meaning that q2∣f(q)q^{2} \mid f(q). Then, using the fact that 20q∣f(q)+f(20)20 q \mid f(q)+f(20), we find that gcd⁡(20q,q2)∣f(q),f(q)+f(20)\operatorname{gcd}\left(20 q, q^{2}\right) \mid f(q), f(q)+f(20), implying that
νp(f(20))≥νp(gcd⁡(20q,q2))=νp(20q)=νp(20L) \nu_{p}(f(20)) \geq \nu_{p}\left(\operatorname{gcd}\left(20 q, q^{2}\right)\right)=\nu_{p}(20 q)=\nu_{p}(20 L)
Now suppose p=2p=2. Then 28=162∣2f(16)2^{8}=16^{2} \mid 2 f(16), so 27∣f(16)2^{7} \mid f(16). Then, since 5⋅26=20⋅16∣f(16)+f(20)5 \cdot 2^{6}=20 \cdot 16 \mid f(16)+f(20), we find that 27∣f(20)2^{7} \mid f(20). Since 7=ν2(20L)7=\nu_{2}(20 L), we are done.

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