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Number theory Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Belarus

Call the set {a1,a2,,an}\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} of positive integers good if
gcd(ak,ikai)>1 \gcd(a_k, \sum_{i \neq k} a_i) > 1
for each k=1,nk = \overline{1, n}.
Prove that for each c(0,1)c \in (0, 1) there exists a positive integer MM such that for any positive integer KMK \ge M one can find a good set with at least cKcK elements all elements of which doesn't exceed KK.
(Yahor Dubovik)

Solution

Recall (with proof) two well-known facts:
Lemma 1. The series i=1+1i\sum_{i=1}^{+\infty} \frac{1}{i} is divergent. In other words for each cRc \in \mathbb{R} there exists mm such that i=1m1ic\sum_{i=1}^{m} \frac{1}{i} \ge c.
Proof. Note that i=22a+11ii=22a+112a+1=12\sum_{i=2}^{2^{a+1}} \frac{1}{i} \ge \sum_{i=2}^{2^{a+1}} \frac{1}{2^{a+1}} = \frac{1}{2}. Grouping the terms this way we obtain that i=12t1i1+t2\sum_{i=1}^{2^t} \frac{1}{i} \ge 1 + \frac{t}{2} which can be sufficiently large.

Lemma 2. Order all prime numbers in ascending order: p1<p2<p_1 < p_2 < \dots. Then the product i=1+111pi\prod_{i=1}^{+\infty} \frac{1}{1 - \frac{1}{p_i}} is divergent. In other words for each cRc \in \mathbb{R} there exists mm such that i=1m111pic\prod_{i=1}^{m} \frac{1}{1 - \frac{1}{p_i}} \ge c.
Proof. By Lemma 1 for each cRc \in \mathbb{R} there exists m0m_0 such that j=1m01jc\sum_{j=1}^{m_0} \frac{1}{j} \ge c. Let all prime divisors of numbers between 1 and m0m_0 be among p1,p2,,pmp_1, p_2, \dots, p_m and the maximal exponent of these primes equal \ell. Then each integer jj from 1 to m0m_0 has the unique representation p1α1p2α2pmαmp_1^{\alpha_1} p_2^{\alpha_2} \dots p_m^{\alpha_m}, 0αi0 \le \alpha_i \le \ell, i=1,,mi = 1, \dots, m. Hence,
i=1m111pii=1m(1+1pi+1pi2++1pi)j=1m01jc. \prod_{i=1}^{m} \frac{1}{1 - \frac{1}{p_i}} \ge \prod_{i=1}^{m} \left( 1 + \frac{1}{p_i} + \frac{1}{p_i^2} + \dots + \frac{1}{p_i^{\ell}} \right) \ge \sum_{j=1}^{m_0} \frac{1}{j} \ge c.

Solution of the problem. Choose an arbitrary q(c,1)q \in (c, 1). Lemma 2 implies that there exists LL such that i=1Lpi1pi<1q\prod_{i=1}^{L} \frac{p_i - 1}{p_i} < 1 - q. Denote T=Ap1p2pLT = A p_1 p_2 \dots p_L where AA is an arbitrary even number.
Consider the set UTU_T of all integers between 1 and TT which are divisible by at least one number from p1,p2,,pLp_1, p_2, \dots, p_L. The cardinality of UTU_T is
iTpiijTpipj+=TT(11p1)(11pL)TT(1q)qT. \sum_{i} \frac{T}{p_i} - \sum_{i \neq j} \frac{T}{p_i p_j} + \dots = T - T(1 - \frac{1}{p_1}) \dots (1 - \frac{1}{p_L}) \ge T - T(1 - q) \ge qT.
We will show that UTU_T is good. Denote the sum of all elements of UTU_T by SS. The condition gcd(ai,Sai)>1\gcd(a_i, S - a_i) > 1 is equivalent to gcd(ai,S)>1\gcd(a_i, S) > 1. Hence it suffices to show that SS is divisible by p1p2pLp_1 p_2 \dots p_L.
Note that if xUTx \in U_T then TxUTT - x \in U_T and their sum is divisible by p1p2pLp_1 p_2 \dots p_L. The numbers T/2T/2 and TT are divisible by p1p2pLp_1 p_2 \dots p_L (since AA is even) so SS is divisible by p1p2pLp_1 p_2 \dots p_L as well.
Suppose we are given K2p1p2pLK \ge 2p_1 p_2 \dots p_L. By taking an appropriate AA choose TT to be the maximal integer such that TKT \le K and 2p1p2pLT2p_1 p_2 \dots p_L \mid T. All elements of the good set UTU_T doesn't exceed TT and, moreover, KK. The cardinality of UTU_T is not less than qT>q(K2p1p2pL)=qKDqT > q(K - 2p_1 p_2 \dots p_L) = qK - D where D=2qp1p2pLD = 2qp_1 p_2 \dots p_L doesn't depend on KK. Therefore for KD/(qc)K \ge D/(q-c) we obtain the inequality qTcKqT \ge cK which implies that UTU_T is the required good set.

Consequently M=D/(qc)M = \lfloor D/(q-c) \rfloor satisfies the problem condition.

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