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Number theory Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it Brazil

Show that 1+12+13++1n1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \cdots + \frac{1}{n} is not an integer for n>1n > 1.

Solution

Let 2m2^m be the highest power of 22 that does not exceed nn. Then none of the other positive integers less than or equal to nn are divisible by 2m2^m. Let k=lcm(1,2,,n)k = \text{lcm}(1, 2, \dots, n). Now write each of the terms 1,12,,1n1, \frac{1}{2}, \dots, \frac{1}{n} as fractions with denominator kk. All will have even numerators except 12m\frac{1}{2^m} which will have an odd numerator. Thus their sum is a fraction hk\frac{h}{k} with hh odd, so it cannot be an integer.

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