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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it China

Let the general term of sequence {an}\{a_n\} be
an=15((1+52)n(152)n),n=1,2, a_n = \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}} \left( \left( \frac{1 + \sqrt{5}}{2} \right)^n - \left( \frac{1 - \sqrt{5}}{2} \right)^n \right), \quad n = 1, 2, \dots
Prove that there exist infinite positive integers mm such that am+4am1a_{m+4}a_m - 1 are perfect squares.

Solution

Denote q1=1+52q_1 = \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}, q2=152q_2 = \frac{1-\sqrt{5}}{2}, and then q1+q2=1q_1 + q_2 = 1, q1q2=1q_1q_2 = -1. Thus,
an=15(q1nq2n),n=1,2, a_n = \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^n - q_2^n), \quad n = 1, 2, \dots
Hence a1=1,a2=1a_1 = 1, a_2 = 1. Also note that qi+1=qi2q_i + 1 = q_i^2 (i=1,2i = 1, 2), and there is
an+1+an=15(q1n+1q2n+1)+15(q1nq2n)=15(q1n(q1+1)q2n(q2+1))=15(q1n+2q2n+2), \begin{aligned} a_{n+1} + a_n &= \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^{n+1} - q_2^{n+1}) + \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^n - q_2^n) \\ &= \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^n(q_1+1) - q_2^n(q_2+1)) \\ &= \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^{n+2} - q_2^{n+2}), \end{aligned}
namely,
an+2=an+1+an,n=1,2, a_{n+2} = a_{n+1} + a_n, \quad n = 1, 2, \dots
It is easy to know that each term of the sequence {an}\{a_n\} is a positive integer.

It is easy to calculate that q14+q24=7q_1^4 + q_2^4 = 7, and hence
a2n+3a2n11=15(q12n+3q22n+3)15(q12n1q22n1)1=15(q14n+2+q24n+2(q1q2)2n1q14(q1q2)2n1q24)1 \begin{aligned} a_{2n+3}a_{2n-1} - 1 &= \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^{2n+3} - q_2^{2n+3}) \cdot \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^{2n-1} - q_2^{2n-1}) - 1 \\ &= \frac{1}{5}(q_1^{4n+2} + q_2^{4n+2} - (q_1q_2)^{2n-1}q_1^4 - (q_1q_2)^{2n-1}q_2^4) - 1 \end{aligned}
=15(q14n+2+q24n+2+q14+q24)1=15(q14n+2+q24n+2+7)1=15(q14n+2+q24n+2+2)=[15(q12n+1+q22n+1)]2=a2n+12. \begin{align*} &= \frac{1}{5}(q_1^{4n+2} + q_2^{4n+2} + q_1^4 + q_2^4) - 1 \\ &= \frac{1}{5}(q_1^{4n+2} + q_2^{4n+2} + 7) - 1 \\ &= \frac{1}{5}(q_1^{4n+2} + q_2^{4n+2} + 2) \\ &= \left[ \frac{1}{\sqrt{5}}(q_1^{2n+1} + q_2^{2n+1}) \right]^2 \\ &= a_{2n+1}^2. \end{align*}
Therefore, for any positive integer nn, a2n+3a2n11a_{2n+3}a_{2n-1} - 1 is a perfect square.

Hence, am+4am1a_{m+4}a_m - 1 are perfect squares for all positive odd numbers mm.

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