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Saudi Arabia booklet, 2024

Number theory Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

For every n=1,2,3,…n = 1, 2, 3, \ldots, define an=33n−1+2a_n = 3^{3^n-1} + 2. Prove that there are infinitely many prime numbers pp for which there exists a natural number nn such that pp is a divisor of ana_n.

Solution

Since ana_n is odd and is congruent to 22 modulo 33, it always has a prime divisor of the form 3h+23h + 2 for h∈Z+h \in \mathbb{Z}^+. Suppose by contradiction that the sequence (an)(a_n) has finitely many prime divisors, then the number of prime divisors of the form 3h+23h + 2 of the sequence is clearly also finite, let them be p1<p2<⋯<pkp_1 < p_2 < \dots < p_k.

Setting m=p1p2⋯pkm = p_1p_2\cdots p_k then clearly gcd⁡(m,3)=1\gcd(m, 3) = 1, by using Euler's theorem, one can get m∣3φ(m)−1m \mid 3^{\varphi(m)} - 1. We also have
φ(m)=(p1−1)(p2−1)⋯(pk−1) \varphi(m) = (p_1 - 1)(p_2 - 1)\cdots(p_k - 1)
is a positive integer not divisible by 33, so setting n=φ(φ(m))n = \varphi(\varphi(m)) then using Euler's theorem again, one could get
φ(m)∣3φ(φ(m))−1=3n−1. \varphi(m) \mid 3^{\varphi(\varphi(m))} - 1 = 3^n - 1.
Note that 3x−1∣3y−13^x - 1 \mid 3^y - 1 where x,yx, y are positive integers such that x∣yx \mid y. Hence,
3φ(m)−1∣33n−1−1. 3^{\varphi(m)} - 1 \mid 3^{3^{n-1}} - 1.
Therefore m∣33n−1−1m \mid 3^{3^{n-1}} - 1. From here, it follows that
an=(33n−1−1)+3≡3(modm). a_n = (3^{3^{n-1}} - 1) + 3 \equiv 3 \pmod{m}.
On the other hand, clearly ana_n will have a prime divisor of the form 3h+23h + 2 so there exists ii with 1≤i≤k1 \le i \le k such that pi∣anp_i \mid a_n. But pi∣mp_i \mid m which implies that pi∣3p_i \mid 3, which is clearly a contradiction. Therefore, (an)(a_n) has infinitely many prime divisors.

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