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Mongolian Mathematical Olympiad

Number theory Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Let p≥5p \geq 5 be a prime number and Sn=1n+2n+⋯+(p−1)nS_n = 1^n + 2^n + \dots + (p - 1)^n. Show that there exists infinitely many n∈Nn \in \mathbb{N} such that p3∣Snp^3 \mid S_n, p∣Sn−1p \mid S_{n-1} and p∣Sn−2p \mid S_{n-2}.
(proposed by N. Davii-Od)

Solution

For every m∈Nm \in \mathbb{N} we can choose that way:
m=p((p−1)m+3)=(p−1)(pm+3)+3 m = p((p-1)m + 3) = (p-1)(pm + 3) + 3
Therefore
2Sn=∑k=1p−1(kn+(p−k)n)=∑k=1p−1∑m=0n−1Cnm(p−k)mpn−m≡ 2S_n = \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} (k^n + (p-k)^n) = \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} \sum_{m=0}^{n-1} C_n^m (p-k)^m p^{n-m} \equiv
≡∑k=1p−1(−1)n−2⋅Cnn−2⋅(p−k)n−2p2+(−1)n−1Cnn−1⋅(p−k)n−1⋅p≡≡(−1)n−2⋅Cnn−2Sn−2p2+(−1)n−1Cnn−1Sn−1p(modp3) \begin{aligned} & \equiv \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} (-1)^{n-2} \cdot C_n^{n-2} \cdot (p-k)^{n-2} p^2 + (-1)^{n-1} C_n^{n-1} \cdot (p-k)^{n-1} \cdot p \equiv \\ & \equiv (-1)^{n-2} \cdot C_n^{n-2} S_{n-2} p^2 + (-1)^{n-1} C_n^{n-1} S_{n-1} p \pmod{p^3} \end{aligned}
Moreover,
Sn−2=1n−2+2n−2+⋯+(p−1)n−2≡S1=p(p−1)2≡0(modp) (∗) S_{n-2} = 1^{n-2} + 2^{n-2} + \dots + (p-1)^{n-2} \equiv S_1 = \frac{p(p-1)}{2} \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \ (*)
Sn−1=1n−1+2n−1+⋯+(p−1)n−1≡S2=p(p−1)(2p+1)6≡0(modp) (∗∗) S_{n-1} = 1^{n-1} + 2^{n-1} + \dots + (p-1)^{n-1} \equiv S_2 = \frac{p(p-1)(2p+1)}{6} \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \ (**)
pp is odd prime number hence (p,6)=1(p, 6) = 1. Thus 2Sn≡0(modp3)2S_n \equiv 0 \pmod{p^3}. Because, we chose above p∣np \mid n and n=(p−1)(pm+3)+3n = (p-1)(pm + 3) + 3. By Fermat's theorem, we get kn−1≡k2(modp)k^{n-1} \equiv k^2 \pmod{p}, kn−2≡k(modp)k^{n-2} \equiv k \pmod{p} then Sn−2≡S1(modp)S_{n-2} \equiv S_1 \pmod{p}, Sn−1≡S2(modp)S_{n-1} \equiv S_2 \pmod{p}. Finally, by () and (*) proof is completed.

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