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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.5 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let nn be a positive integer. Show that the numbers
(2n10),(2n11),(2n12),,(2n12n11) \binom{2^{n}-1}{0}, \quad\binom{2^{n}-1}{1}, \quad\binom{2^{n}-1}{2}, \quad \ldots, \quad\binom{2^{n}-1}{2^{n-1}-1}
are congruent modulo 2n2^{n} to 1,3,5,,2n11,3,5, \ldots, 2^{n}-1 in some order.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

It is well-known that all these numbers are odd. So the assertion that their remainders (mod 2n)(\bmod\ 2^{n}) make up a permutation of {1,3,,2n1}\{1,3, \ldots, 2^{n}-1\} is equivalent just to saying that these remainders are all distinct. We begin by showing that
(2n12k)+(2n12k+1)0(mod2n) and (2n12k)(1)k(2n11k)(mod2n). \begin{equation*} \binom{2^{n}-1}{2 k}+\binom{2^{n}-1}{2 k+1} \equiv 0\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) \quad \text{ and } \quad\binom{2^{n}-1}{2 k} \equiv(-1)^{k}\binom{2^{n-1}-1}{k}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) . \tag{1} \end{equation*}
The first relation is immediate, as the sum on the left is equal to (2n2k+1)=2n2k+1(2n12k)\binom{2^{n}}{2 k+1}=\frac{2^{n}}{2 k+1}\binom{2^{n}-1}{2 k}, hence is divisible by 2n2^{n}. The second relation:
(2n12k)=j=12k2njj=i=1k2n(2i1)2i1i=1k2n1ii(1)k(2n11k)(mod2n). \binom{2^{n}-1}{2 k}=\prod_{j=1}^{2 k} \frac{2^{n}-j}{j}=\prod_{i=1}^{k} \frac{2^{n}-(2 i-1)}{2 i-1} \cdot \prod_{i=1}^{k} \frac{2^{n-1}-i}{i} \equiv(-1)^{k}\binom{2^{n-1}-1}{k} \quad\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) .
This prepares ground for a proof of the required result by induction on nn. The base case n=1n=1 is obvious. Assume the assertion is true for n1n-1 and pass to nn, denoting ak=(2n11k)a_{k}=\binom{2^{n-1}-1}{k}, bm=(2n1m)b_{m}=\binom{2^{n}-1}{m}. The induction hypothesis is that all the numbers ak(0k<2n2)a_{k}\left(0 \leq k<2^{n-2}\right) are distinct (mod2n1)\left(\bmod 2^{n-1}\right); the claim is that all the numbers bm(0m<2n1)b_{m}\left(0 \leq m<2^{n-1}\right) are distinct (mod2n)\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right).
The congruence relations (1) are restated as
b2k(1)kakb2k+1(mod2n) \begin{equation*} b_{2 k} \equiv(-1)^{k} a_{k} \equiv-b_{2 k+1} \quad\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) \tag{2} \end{equation*}
Shifting the exponent in the first relation of (1) from nn to n1n-1 we also have the congruence a2i+1a2i(mod2n1)a_{2 i+1} \equiv-a_{2 i}\left(\bmod 2^{n-1}\right). We hence conclude:
If, for some j,k<2n2,akaj(mod2n1)j, k<2^{n-2}, a_{k} \equiv-a_{j}\left(\bmod 2^{n-1}\right), then {j,k}={2i,2i+1}\{j, k\}=\{2 i, 2 i+1\} for some ii.
This is so because in the sequence (ak:k<2n2)\left(a_{k}: k<2^{n-2}\right) each term aja_{j} is complemented to 0(mod2n1)0\left(\bmod 2^{n-1}\right) by only one other term aka_{k}, according to the induction hypothesis.
From (2) we see that b4ia2ib_{4 i} \equiv a_{2 i} and b4i+3a2i+1(mod2n)b_{4 i+3} \equiv a_{2 i+1}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). Let
M={m:0m<2n1,m0 or 3(mod4)},L={l:0l<2n1,l1 or 2(mod4)}. M=\{m: 0 \leq m<2^{n-1}, m \equiv 0 \text{ or } 3(\bmod 4)\}, \quad L=\{l: 0 \leq l<2^{n-1}, l \equiv 1 \text{ or } 2(\bmod 4)\} .
The last two congruences take on the unified form
bmam/2(mod2n) for all mM \begin{equation*} b_{m} \equiv a_{\lfloor m / 2\rfloor} \quad\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) \quad \text{ for all } \quad m \in M \tag{4} \end{equation*}
Thus all the numbers bmb_{m} for mMm \in M are distinct (mod2n)\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) because so are the numbers aka_{k} (they are distinct (mod2n1)\left(\bmod 2^{n-1}\right), hence also (mod2n))\left.\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right)\right).
Every lLl \in L is paired with a unique mMm \in M into a pair of the form {2k,2k+1}\{2 k, 2 k+1\}. So (2) implies that also all the blb_{l} for lLl \in L are distinct (mod2n)\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). It remains to eliminate the possibility that bmbl(mod2n)b_{m} \equiv b_{l}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) for some mM,lLm \in M, l \in L.
Suppose that such a situation occurs. Let mMm^{\prime} \in M be such that {m,l}\{m^{\prime}, l\} is a pair of the form {2k,2k+1}\{2 k, 2 k+1\}, so that (see (2)) bmbl(mod2n)b_{m^{\prime}} \equiv-b_{l}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). Hence bmbm(mod2n)b_{m^{\prime}} \equiv-b_{m}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). Since both mm^{\prime} and mm are in MM, we have by (4) bmaj,bmak(mod2n)b_{m^{\prime}} \equiv a_{j}, b_{m} \equiv a_{k}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) for j=m/2,k=m/2j=\left\lfloor m^{\prime} / 2\right\rfloor, k=\lfloor m / 2\rfloor.
Then ajak(mod2n)a_{j} \equiv-a_{k}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). Thus, according to (3),j=2i,k=2i+1(3), j=2 i, k=2 i+1 for some ii (or vice versa). The equality a2i+1a2i(mod2n)a_{2 i+1} \equiv-a_{2 i}\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right) now means that (2n112i)+(2n112i+1)0(mod2n)\binom{2^{n-1}-1}{2 i}+\binom{2^{n-1}-1}{2 i+1} \equiv 0\left(\bmod 2^{n}\right). However, the sum on the left is equal to (2n12i+1)\binom{2^{n-1}}{2 i+1}. A number of this form cannot be divisible by 2n2^{n}. This is a contradiction which concludes the induction step and proves the result.

Solution 2

We again proceed by induction, writing for brevity N=2n1N=2^{n-1} and keeping notation ak=(N1k),bm=(2N1m)a_{k}=\binom{N-1}{k}, b_{m}=\binom{2 N-1}{m}. Assume that the result holds for the sequence (a0,a1,a2,,aN/21)\left(a_{0}, a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{N / 2-1}\right). In view of the symmetry aN1k=aka_{N-1-k}=a_{k} this sequence is a permutation of (a0,a2,a4,,aN2)\left(a_{0}, a_{2}, a_{4}, \ldots, a_{N-2}\right). So the induction hypothesis says that this latter sequence, taken (modN)(\bmod N), is a permutation of (1,3,5,,N1)(1,3,5, \ldots, N-1). Similarly, the induction claim is that (b0,b2,b4,,b2N2)\left(b_{0}, b_{2}, b_{4}, \ldots, b_{2 N-2}\right), taken (mod2N)(\bmod 2 N), is a permutation of (1,3,5,,2N1)(1,3,5, \ldots, 2 N-1).
In place of the congruence relations (2) we now use the following ones,
b4ia2i(modN) and b4i+2b4i+N(mod2N) \begin{equation*} b_{4 i} \equiv a_{2 i}(\bmod N) \quad \text{ and } \quad b_{4 i+2} \equiv b_{4 i}+N(\bmod 2 N) \tag{5} \end{equation*}
Given this, the conclusion is immediate: the first formula of (5) together with the induction hypothesis tells us that (b0,b4,b8,,b2N4)(modN)\left(b_{0}, b_{4}, b_{8}, \ldots, b_{2 N-4}\right)(\bmod N) is a permutation of (1,3,5,,N1)(1,3,5, \ldots, N-1). Then the second formula of (5) shows that (b2,b6,b10,,b2N2)(modN)\left(b_{2}, b_{6}, b_{10}, \ldots, b_{2 N-2}\right)(\bmod N) is exactly the same permutation; moreover, this formula distinguishes (mod2N)(\bmod 2 N) each b4ib_{4 i} from b4i+2b_{4 i+2}.
Consequently, these two sequences combined represent (mod2N)(\bmod 2 N) a permutation of the sequence (1,3,5,,N1,N+1,N+3,N+5,,N+N1)(1,3,5, \ldots, N-1, N+1, N+3, N+5, \ldots, N+N-1), and this is precisely the induction claim.
Now we prove formulas (5); we begin with the second one. Since bm+1=bm2Nm1m+1b_{m+1}=b_{m} \cdot \frac{2 N-m-1}{m+1},
b4i+2=b4i2N4i14i+12N4i24i+2=b4i2N4i14i+1N2i12i+1. b_{4 i+2}=b_{4 i} \cdot \frac{2 N-4 i-1}{4 i+1} \cdot \frac{2 N-4 i-2}{4 i+2}=b_{4 i} \cdot \frac{2 N-4 i-1}{4 i+1} \cdot \frac{N-2 i-1}{2 i+1} .
The desired congruence b4i+2b4i+Nb_{4 i+2} \equiv b_{4 i}+N may be multiplied by the odd number ( 4i+14 i+1 ) ( 2i+12 i+1 ), giving rise to a chain of successively equivalent congruences:
b4i(2N4i1)(N2i1)(b4i+N)(4i+1)(2i+1)(mod2N),b4i(2i+1N)(b4i+N)(2i+1)(mod2N),(b4i+2i+1)N0(mod2N); \begin{aligned} b_{4 i}(2 N-4 i-1)(N-2 i-1) & \equiv\left(b_{4 i}+N\right)(4 i+1)(2 i+1) & & (\bmod 2 N), \\ b_{4 i}(2 i+1-N) & \equiv\left(b_{4 i}+N\right)(2 i+1) & & (\bmod 2 N), \\ \left(b_{4 i}+2 i+1\right) N & \equiv 0 & & (\bmod 2 N) ; \end{aligned}
and the last one is satisfied, as b4ib_{4 i} is odd. This settles the second relation in (5).
The first one is proved by induction on ii. It holds for i=0i=0. Assume b4ia2i(mod2N)b_{4 i} \equiv a_{2 i}(\bmod 2 N) and consider i+1i+1 :
b4i+4=b4i+22N4i34i+32N4i44i+4;a2i+2=a2iN2i12i+1N2i22i+2. b_{4 i+4}=b_{4 i+2} \cdot \frac{2 N-4 i-3}{4 i+3} \cdot \frac{2 N-4 i-4}{4 i+4} ; \quad a_{2 i+2}=a_{2 i} \cdot \frac{N-2 i-1}{2 i+1} \cdot \frac{N-2 i-2}{2 i+2} .
Both expressions have the fraction N2i22i+2\frac{N-2 i-2}{2 i+2} as the last factor. Since 2i+2<N=2n12 i+2<N=2^{n-1}, this fraction reduces to /m\ell / m with \ell and mm odd. In showing that b4i+4a2i+2(mod2N)b_{4 i+4} \equiv a_{2 i+2}(\bmod 2 N), we may ignore this common factor /m\ell / m. Clearing other odd denominators reduces the claim to
b4i+2(2N4i3)(2i+1)a2i(N2i1)(4i+3)(mod2N) b_{4 i+2}(2 N-4 i-3)(2 i+1) \equiv a_{2 i}(N-2 i-1)(4 i+3) \quad(\bmod 2 N)
By the inductive assumption (saying that b4ia2i(mod2N)b_{4 i} \equiv a_{2 i}(\bmod 2 N) ) and by the second relation of (5), this is equivalent to
(b4i+N)(2i+1)b4i(2i+1N)(mod2N) \left(b_{4 i}+N\right)(2 i+1) \equiv b_{4 i}(2 i+1-N) \quad(\bmod 2 N)
a congruence which we have already met in the preceding proof a few lines above. This completes induction (on ii ) and the proof of (5), hence also the whole solution.

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