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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.1 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Mongolia

Let n,mn, m be positive integers. A sequence of mnmn integers written on a circle is called nice if the sum of any mm consecutive integers is a power of mm. Show that

(1) for any nice sequence of mnmn (m2m \ge 2) integers, one can delete mm consecutive integers so that the remaining sequence of m(n1)m(n-1) integers is nice.

(2) any nice sequence of m2m^2 integers contains an integer which is repeated at least mm times.

(Bayarmagnai Gombodorj)

Solution

Suppose that a0,a1,,amn1a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{mn-1} is a nice sequence, where we take indices modulo mnmn. First of all, we claim that if at=max{a0,a1,,amn1}a_t = \max\{a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{mn-1}\} then at+1m=at+1,at+2m=at+2,,at1=at+(m1)a_{t+1-m} = a_{t+1}, a_{t+2-m} = a_{t+2}, \dots, a_{t-1} = a_{t+(m-1)} (call these 2(m1)2(m-1) terms (m1)(m-1)-pairs). Let Si=ai++ai+m1S_i = a_i + \dots + a_{i+m-1} for each 0imn10 \le i \le mn-1. Then Si+1Si=ai+maiS_{i+1} - S_i = a_{i+m} - a_i. If there are indices tm+1i,jtt-m+1 \le i, j \le t such that Si>SjS_i > S_j then SiSjSj(m1)S_i - S_j \ge S_j(m-1) since SiS_i and SjS_j are powers of mm. Therefore, it follows from matSi>Sj>atm a_t \ge S_i > S_j > a_t that
matatSiSjSj(m1)>at(m1), m a_t - a_t \ge S_i - S_j \ge S_j(m-1) > a_t(m-1),
a contradiction. Thus Stm+1=Stm+2==StS_{t-m+1} = S_{t-m+2} = \dots = S_t and hence ai=am+ia_i = a_{m+i} for each tm+1it1t-m+1 \le i \le t-1.

(1) Let k2k \ge 2 and let a0,a1,,amk1a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{mk-1} be a nice sequence. Denote by ata_t the largest term of the sequence and delete the terms at,at+1,,at+m1a_t, a_{t+1}, \dots, a_{t+m-1} in the given sequence. Then the remaining sequence
a0,a1,,at1,at+m,as+m+1,,amk1a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{t-1}, a_{t+m}, a_{s+m+1}, \dots, a_{mk-1}
is nice by the claim.

(2) From the claim and (1), it follows that the number of (m1)(m-1)-pairs in a given nice sequence is at least m1m-1. Therefore, there are (m1)2(m-1)^2 pairs of the form (ai,ai+m)(a_i, a_{i+m}) with ai=ai+ma_i = a_{i+m}. Now consider the remainders, modulo mm, of the indices of all (m1)(m-1)-pairs in the sequence. By the pigeonhole principle, there is a remainder jj modulo mm such that the number of pairs whose indices are exactly jj modulo mm is at least [(m1)2/m]+1=m1[(m-1)^2/m] + 1 = m-1. Let (aki,aki+m)(a_{k_i}, a_{k_i+m}) be such pairs, i.e., aki=aki+ma_{k_i} = a_{k_i+m}, ki<ki+1k_i < k_{i+1} and kij(modm)k_i \equiv j \pmod m for each 1im11 \le i \le m-1. Since m2>jm1+mm^2 > j_{m-1} + m and
km1+m=m+k1+i=2m1(kiki1)=m+k1+mi=2m1kiki1m k_{m-1} + m = m + k_1 + \sum_{i=2}^{m-1} (k_i - k_{i-1}) = m + k_1 + m \sum_{i=2}^{m-1} \frac{k_i - k_{i-1}}{m}
we obtain kiki1=mk_i - k_{i-1} = m for each ii. Thus ak1=ak2==akm1=akm1+ma_{k_1} = a_{k_2} = \dots = a_{k_{m-1}} = a_{k_{m-1}+m}, completes the proof.

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