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Algebra Difficulty 7.0 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Belarus

An infinite sequence (an)(a_n), nNn \in \mathbb{N}, of positive numbers is called *lacunar* if there exists a number q>1q > 1 such that an+1/anqa_{n+1}/a_n \ge q for all nNn \in \mathbb{N}. Also, the sequence is called *solitary* if there exists a number r>1r > 1 such that the interval (x,rx)(x, rx) contains at most one term of this sequence for any positive xx.

a) Is it true that any lacunar sequence is solitary?

b) Is it true that any solitary sequence is lacunar?

Solution

a) Let the sequence (an)(a_n), nNn \in \mathbb{N}, be lacunar. Then there exists a number q>1q > 1 such that
an+1qannN.(1) a_{n+1} \ge q a_n \quad \forall n \in \mathbb{N}. \quad (1)
In particular, any lacunar sequence is increasing. From (1) it follows that any interval (x,qx)(x, qx) contains at most one term of this sequence. Indeed, if we assume that ana_n and an+1a_{n+1} belong to this interval, then an+1an<qxx=q\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} < \frac{qx}{x} = q, contrary to (1). Therefore, any lacunar sequence is solitary.

b) Consider the lacunar sequence an=2na_n = 2^n, nNn \in \mathbb{N}. This sequence is solitary as was shown in item a): every interval (x,2x)(x, 2x), where x>0x > 0, contains at most one term of this sequence. We construct a new sequence (xn)(x_n), nNn \in \mathbb{N}, as x2n1=a2nx_{2n-1} = a_{2n} and x2n=a2n1x_{2n} = a_{2n-1} for any nNn \in \mathbb{N}. This sequence (xn)(x_n) is solitary because the set of its terms and the set of the terms of the sequence (an)(a_n) coincide. But the sequence (xn)(x_n) is not lacunar since this sequence is not increasing.

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