Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2020

Algebra Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it Taiwan

Let N\mathbb{N} be the set of positive numbers. Define
A={2a+a2aN} A = \{2^a + a^2 \mid a \in \mathbb{N}\}
and, for each iNi \in \mathbb{N},
h1(n)=n+log2n;hi+1(n)=n+log2hi(n),iN. h_1(n) = n + \log_2 n; \quad h_{i+1}(n) = n + \log_2 h_i(n), \quad \forall i \in \mathbb{N}.
Show that there exists a one-to-one function g:R+R+g : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ such that
(a) For i,nNi, n \in \mathbb{N}, there holds n+g(hi(n))An + \lfloor g(h_i(n)) \rfloor \notin A.
(b) For each kNAk \in \mathbb{N} \setminus A and iNi \in \mathbb{N}, there uniquely exists ak,iNa_{k,i} \in \mathbb{N} satisfying
ak,i+g(hi(ak,i))=k,iN. a_{k,i} + \lfloor g(h_i(a_{k,i})) \rfloor = k, \quad \forall i \in \mathbb{N}.
Here x\lfloor x \rfloor is the greatest integer that does not exceed the real number xx.

Solution

The statement holds when gg is the inverse function of 2x+x2+12^x + x^2 + 1 in R+\mathbb{R}^+. The detail will be stated as follows.

Note that NA={1,2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,18,}={bn:nN}\mathbb{N} \setminus A = \{1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, \dots\} = \{b_n : n \in \mathbb{N}\}.
After a rearrangement, we can assume bn<bn+1b_n < b_{n+1}, nNn \in \mathbb{N}. Let us in a position consider
the sequence {bnn:nN}\{b_n - n : n \in \mathbb{N}\}, which is obviously a non-decreasing sequence. It is easy
to see that for each mN{0}m \in \mathbb{N} \cup \{0\}, there exists at least two nn such that bnn=mb_n - n = m.
More precisely, for each m1m \ge 1 fixed, the number of all distinct elements in the set
Bm:={n:bnn=m}B_m := \{n : b_n - n = m\} is
((m+1)2+2m+1)(m2+2m)1=2m+2m. ((m+1)^2 + 2^{m+1}) - (m^2 + 2^m) - 1 = 2m + 2^m.
Hence, if nBmn \in B_m with m1m \ge 1, then
2+l=1m1(2l+2l)+1n2+l=1m(2l+2l). 2 + \sum_{l=1}^{m-1} (2l + 2^l) + 1 \le n \le 2 + \sum_{l=1}^{m} (2l + 2^l).
implying
2m+m2m+1n2m+1+m2+m, for nBm.(1) 2^m + m^2 - m + 1 \le n \le 2^{m+1} + m^2 + m, \text{ for } n \in B_m. \quad (1)

In particular, we have 2m<n<2m+22^m < n < 2^{m+2} and thus m<log2n<m+2m < \log_2 n < m + 2. Along with (1), we get
2m+m2+1<n+log2n<2m+1+(m+1)2+1, for nBm.(2) 2^m + m^2 + 1 < n + \log_2 n < 2^{m+1} + (m+1)^2 + 1, \text{ for } n \in B_m. \quad (2)
Note also that 2x+x2+12^x + x^2 + 1 is strictly increasing to x>0x > 0. Hence, there exists a strictly increasing function g:R+R+g : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ such that its inverse g1(x)=2x+x2+1g^{-1}(x) = 2^x + x^2 + 1. This along with (2) yields
m<g(h1(n))<m+1, for nBm.(3) m < g(h_1(n)) < m + 1, \text{ for } n \in B_m. \quad (3)
On the other hand, by (2), one has 2m<n+log2n<2m+22^m < n + \log_2 n < 2^{m+2}, and hence m<log2(n+log2n)<m+2m < \log_2(n + \log_2 n) < m + 2. Along with (1), we get 2m+m2+1n+log2(n+log2n)2m+1+(m+1)2+12^m + m^2 + 1 \le n + \log_2(n + \log_2 n) \le 2^{m+1} + (m+1)^2 + 1, i.e.,
m<g(h2(n))<m+1, for nBm.(4) m < g(h_2(n)) < m + 1, \text{ for } n \in B_m. \quad (4)
Repeating the same argument, we can prove
m<g(hi(n))<m+1,iN and nBm.(5) m < g(h_i(n)) < m + 1, \forall i \in \mathbb{N} \text{ and } \forall n \in B_m. \quad (5)
Hence, we obtain [g(hi(n))]=m,nBm[g(h_i(n))] = m, \forall n \in B_m and iN\forall i \in \mathbb{N}. As a consequence,
bn=n+[g(hi(n))]NA,nN. b_n = n + [g(h_i(n))] \in \mathbb{N} - A, \forall n \in \mathbb{N}.
Furthermore, for kNAk \in \mathbb{N} \setminus A, there exists n:=ai,kn := a_{i,k} such that k=ai,k+[g(hi(ai,k))]k = a_{i,k} + [g(h_i(a_{i,k}))]. Since both gg and hih_i are strictly increasing functions, the uniqueness for ai,ka_{i,k} is trivial. This completes the proof of (a) and (b).

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.