Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Soviet Union

Problem:

Let mm, nn, kk be positive integers with mnm \geq n and 1+2++n=mk1 + 2 + \ldots + n = mk. Prove that the numbers 1,2,,n1, 2, \ldots, n can be divided into kk groups in such a way that the sum of the numbers in each group equals mm.

Solution

Solution:

Induction on nn, then mm. For n=1n = 1, 22 there is nothing to prove. Assume the result is proved for <n< n and consider the case nn.

If nn is odd, we have n=n1+1=n2+2==(n+1)/2+(n1)/2n = n - 1 + 1 = n - 2 + 2 = \ldots = (n + 1)/2 + (n - 1)/2, so the result is true for m=nm = n, k=(n+1)/2k = (n + 1)/2.

If nn is even, we have n+1=n1+2==(n/2+1)+(n/21)n + 1 = n - 1 + 2 = \ldots = (n/2 + 1) + (n/2 - 1), so the result is true for m=n+1m = n + 1 and k=n/2k = n/2.

Now suppose it is true for <m< m.

If 2n>m>n+12n > m > n + 1, then for mm odd we can take the sums m=n+mn=n1+mn+1==(m+1)/2+(m1)/2m = n + m - n = n - 1 + m - n + 1 = \ldots = (m + 1)/2 + (m - 1)/2. These use up the numbers mnm - n, mn+1m - n + 1, ..., nn and give some sums of mm. By induction the remaining numbers 1,2,,mn11, 2, \ldots, m - n - 1 will give the remaining sums of mm (obviously m>mn1m > m - n - 1).

If mm is even, we can take the sums m=n+mn=n1+mn+1==(m/2+1)+(m/21)m = n + m - n = n - 1 + m - n + 1 = \ldots = (m/2 + 1) + (m/2 - 1). That gives some sums of mm and leaves us with the integers 1,2,,mn11, 2, \ldots, m - n - 1 and m/2m/2. But since m<2(n+1)m < 2(n + 1), m/2>mn1m/2 > m - n - 1 and hence we can use the integers 1,2,,mn11, 2, \ldots, m - n - 1 to form sums of m/2m/2. With the integer m/2m/2 that gives us sums of mm (we know that the parity must come out right because we know that the sum of all the remaining numbers is divisible by mm).

Finally, consider m2nm \geq 2n. In that case we can form kk sums of 2n2k+12n - 2k + 1: n+(n2k+1)n + (n - 2k + 1), (n1)+(n2k+2)(n - 1) + (n - 2k + 2), ..., (nk+1)+(nk)(n - k + 1) + (n - k). So we are home provided the remaining integers 1,2,,n2k1, 2, \ldots, n - 2k can be used to form kk sums of m(2n2k+1)m - (2n - 2k + 1). That follows by induction provided that m(2n2k+1)n2km - (2n - 2k + 1) \geq n - 2k, or m+4k13nm + 4k - 1 \geq 3n, or m+2n(n+1)/m13nm + 2n(n + 1)/m - 1 \geq 3n or (m2n)(mn1)0(m - 2n)(m - n - 1) \geq 0, which is true.

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