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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.8 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO)

Problem:
Find the smallest positive integer kk for which there exist a colouring of the positive integers Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} with kk colours and a function f:Z>0Z>0f: \mathbb{Z}_{>0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{>0} with the following two properties:
(i) For all positive integers m,nm, n of the same colour, f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n)f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n).
(ii) There are positive integers m,nm, n such that f(m+n)f(m)+f(n)f(m+n) \neq f(m)+f(n).

In a colouring of Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} with kk colours, every integer is coloured in exactly one of the kk colours. In both (i) and (ii) the positive integers m,nm, n are not necessarily different.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Solution:
The answer is k=3k=3.

First we show that there is such a function and coloring for k=3k=3. Consider f:Z>0Z>0f: \mathbb{Z}_{>0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{>0} given by f(n)=nf(n)=n for all n1n \equiv 1 or 22 modulo 33, and f(n)=2nf(n)=2 n for n0n \equiv 0 modulo 33. Moreover, give a positive integer nn the ii-th color if nin \equiv i (mod 33).

By construction we have f(1+2)=63=f(1)+f(2)f(1+2)=6 \neq 3=f(1)+f(2) and hence ff has property (ii).

Now let n,mn, m be positive integers with the same color ii. If i=0i=0, then n+mn+m has color 00, so f(n+m)=2(n+m)=2n+2m=f(n)+f(m)f(n+m)=2(n+m)=2 n+2 m=f(n)+f(m). If i=1i=1, then n+mn+m has color 22, so f(n+m)=n+m=f(n)+f(m)f(n+m)=n+m=f(n)+f(m). Finally, if i=2i=2, then n+mn+m has color 11, so f(n+m)=n+m=f(n)+f(m)f(n+m)=n+m=f(n)+f(m). Therefore ff also satisfies condition (i).

Next we show that there is no such function and coloring for k=2k=2.

Consider any coloring of Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} with 22 colors and any function f:Z>0Z>0f: \mathbb{Z}_{>0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{>0} satisfying conditions (i) and (ii). Then there exist positive integers mm and nn such that f(m+n)f(m)+f(n)f(m+n) \neq f(m)+f(n). Choose mm and nn such that their sum is minimal among all such m,nm, n and define a=m+na=m+n. Then in particular for every b<ab<a we have f(b)=bf(1)f(b)=b f(1) and f(a)af(1)f(a) \neq a f(1).

If aa is even, then condition (i) for m=n=a2m=n=\frac{a}{2} implies f(a)=f(a2)+f(a2)=f(1)af(a)=f\left(\frac{a}{2}\right)+f\left(\frac{a}{2}\right)=f(1) a, a contradiction. Hence aa is odd. We will prove two lemmas.

Lemma 1. Any odd integer b<ab<a has a different color than aa.

Proof. Suppose that b<ab<a is an odd integer, and that aa and bb have the same color. Then on the one hand, f(a+b)=f(a)+bf(1)f(a+b)=f(a)+b f(1). On the other hand, we also have f(a+b)=f(a+b2)+f(a+b2)=(a+b)f(1)f(a+b)=f\left(\frac{a+b}{2}\right)+f\left(\frac{a+b}{2}\right)=(a+b) f(1), as a+b2\frac{a+b}{2} is a positive integer smaller than aa. Hence f(a)=f(a+b)bf(1)=(a+b)f(1)bf(1)=af(1)f(a)=f(a+b)-b f(1)=(a+b) f(1)-b f(1)=a f(1), which is again a contradiction. Therefore all odd integers smaller than aa have a color different from that of aa.

Lemma 2. Any even integer b<ab<a has the same color as aa

Proof. Suppose b<ab<a is an even integer, and that aa and bb have different colors. Then aba-b is an odd integer smaller than aa, so it has the same color as bb. Thus f(a)=f(ab)+f(b)=(ab)f(1)+bf(1)=af(1)f(a)=f(a-b)+f(b)=(a-b) f(1)+b f(1)=a f(1), a contradiction. Hence all even integers smaller than aa have the same color as aa.

Suppose now a+1a+1 has the same color as aa. As a>1a>1, we have a+12<a\frac{a+1}{2}<a and therefore f(a+1)=2f(a+12)=(a+1)f(1)f(a+1)=2 f\left(\frac{a+1}{2}\right)=(a+1) f(1). As a1a-1 is an even integer smaller than aa, we have by Lemma 2 that a1a-1 also has the same color as aa. Hence 2f(a)=f(2a)=f(a+1)+f(a1)=(a+1)f(1)+(a1)f(1)=2af(1)2 f(a)=f(2 a)=f(a+1)+f(a-1)=(a+1) f(1)+(a-1) f(1)=2 a f(1), which implies that f(a)=af(1)f(a)=a f(1), a contradiction. So aa and a+1a+1 have different colors.

Since a2a-2 is an odd integer smaller than aa, by Lemma 1 it has a color different from that of aa, so a2a-2 and a+1a+1 have the same color. Also, we have seen by Lemma 2 that a1a-1 and aa have the same color. So f(a)+f(a1)=f(2a1)=f(a+1)+f(a2)=(a+1)f(1)+(a2)f(1)=(2a1)f(1)f(a)+f(a-1)=f(2 a-1)=f(a+1)+f(a-2)=(a+1) f(1)+(a-2) f(1)=(2 a-1) f(1), from which it follows that f(a)=(2a1)f(1)f(a1)=(2a1)f(1)(a1)f(1)=af(1)f(a)=(2 a-1) f(1)-f(a-1)=(2 a-1) f(1)-(a-1) f(1)=a f(1), which contradicts our choice of aa and finishes the proof.

Solution 2

Solution:
We prove that k3k \leq 3 just as in first solution.

Next we show that there is no such function and coloring for k=2k=2.

Consider any coloring of Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} with 22 colors and any function f:Z>0Z>0f: \mathbb{Z}_{>0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{>0} satisfying conditions (i) and (ii). We first notice with m=nm=n that f(2n)=2f(n)f(2 n)=2 f(n).

Lemma 3. For every nZ>0,f(3n)=3f(n)n \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0}, f(3 n)=3 f(n) holds.

Proof. Define c=f(n),d=f(3n)c=f(n), d=f(3 n). Then we have the relations
f(2n)=2c,f(4n)=4c,f(6n)=2d f(2 n)=2 c, \quad f(4 n)=4 c, \quad f(6 n)=2 d
- If nn and 2n2 n have the same color, then f(3n)=f(n)+f(2n)=3c=3f(n)f(3 n)=f(n)+f(2 n)=3 c=3 f(n).
- If nn and 3n3 n have the same color, then 4c=f(4n)=f(n)+f(3n)=c+f(3n)4 c=f(4 n)=f(n)+f(3 n)=c+f(3 n), so f(3n)=3f(n)f(3 n)=3 f(n).
- If 2n2 n and 4n4 n have the same color, then 2d=f(6n)=f(2n)+f(4n)=2c+4c=6c2 d=f(6 n)=f(2 n)+f(4 n)=2 c+4 c=6 c, so f(3n)=d=3cf(3 n)=d=3 c.
- Otherwise nn and 4n4 n have the same color, and 2n2 n and 3n3 n both have the opposite color to nn. Therefore we compute 5c=f(n)+f(4n)=f(5n)=f(2n)+f(3n)=2c+f(3n)5 c=f(n)+f(4 n)=f(5 n)=f(2 n)+f(3 n)=2 c+f(3 n) so f(3n)=3f(n)f(3 n)=3 f(n).

Consequently, for k=2k=2 we necessarily have f(3n)=3f(n)f(3 n)=3 f(n).

Now let aa be the smallest integer such that f(a)af(1)f(a) \neq a f(1). In particular aa is odd and a>3a>3. Consider the three integers a,a32,a+32a, \frac{a-3}{2}, \frac{a+3}{2}. By pigeonhole principle two of them have the same color.

- If a32\frac{a-3}{2} and a+32\frac{a+3}{2} have the same color, then f(a)=a32f(1)+a+32f(1)=af(1)f(a)=\frac{a-3}{2} f(1)+\frac{a+3}{2} f(1)=a f(1).
- If aa and a32\frac{a-3}{2} have the same color, then 3a12f(1)=3f(a12)=f(3a32)=f(a)+f(a32)=f(a)+a32f(1)3 \frac{a-1}{2} f(1)=3 f\left(\frac{a-1}{2}\right)=f\left(\frac{3 a-3}{2}\right)=f(a)+f\left(\frac{a-3}{2}\right)=f(a)+\frac{a-3}{2} f(1), so f(a)=af(1)f(a)=a f(1).
- If aa and a+32\frac{a+3}{2} have the same color, then 3a+12f(1)=3f(a+12)=f(3a+32)=f(a)+f(a+32)=f(a)+a+32f(1)3 \frac{a+1}{2} f(1)=3 f\left(\frac{a+1}{2}\right)=f\left(\frac{3 a+3}{2}\right)=f(a)+f\left(\frac{a+3}{2}\right)=f(a)+\frac{a+3}{2} f(1), so f(a)=af(1)f(a)=a f(1).

In the three cases we find a contradiction with f(a)af(1)f(a) \neq a f(1), so it finishes the proof.

Solution 3

Solution:
As before we prove that k3k \leq 3 and for any such function and colouring we have f(2n)=2f(n)f(2 n)=2 f(n).

Now we show that there is no such function and coloring for k=2k=2.

Consider any coloring of Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} with 22 colors and any function f:Z>0Z>0f: \mathbb{Z}_{>0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{>0} satisfying conditions (i) and (ii). Say the two colors are white (W) and black (B). Pick m,nm, n any two integers such that f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n)f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n). Without loss of generality we may assume that m+n,mm+n, m are black and nn is white.

Lemma 4. For all lZ>0l \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0} and every xx whose color is black, we have x+lmx+l m is black and f(x+lm)=f(x)+lf(m)f(x+l m)=f(x)+l f(m).

Proof. We proceed by induction. It is clearly true for l=0l=0. If x+lmx+l m is black and satisfies f(x+lm)=f(x)+lf(m)f(x+l m)=f(x)+l f(m), then f(x+(l+1)m)=f(x+lm)+f(m)=f(x)+(l+1)f(m)f(x+(l+1) m)=f(x+l m)+f(m)=f(x)+(l+1) f(m) and f(x+(l+1)m+n)=f(x+lm)+f(m+n)=f(x)+lf(m)+f(m+n)f(x)+(l+1)f(m)+f(n)=f(x+(l+1)m)+f(n)f(x+(l+1) m+n)=f(x+l m)+f(m+n)=f(x)+l f(m)+f(m+n) \neq f(x)+(l+1) f(m)+f(n)=f(x+(l+1) m)+f(n), so x+(l+1)mx+(l+1) m is not the same color of nn, therefore x+(l+1)mx+(l+1) m is black. This completes the induction.

In particular we then must have that 2ln2^{l} n is white for every ll, because otherwise since 2lm2^{l} m is black we would have 2lf(m+n)=f(2lm+2ln)=f(2lm)+f(2ln)=2l(f(m)+f(n))2^{l} f(m+n)=f\left(2^{l} m+2^{l} n\right)=f\left(2^{l} m\right)+f\left(2^{l} n\right)=2^{l}(f(m)+f(n)), and consequently f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n)f(m+n)=f(m)+f(n).

Lemma 5. For every l1,2lm+2l1nl \geq 1, 2^{l} m+2^{l-1} n is black.

Proof. On the one hand we have 2lf(m+n)=f(2lm+2ln)=f(2l1(2m+n)+2l1n)2^{l} f(m+n)=f\left(2^{l} m+2^{l} n\right)=f\left(2^{l-1}(2 m+n)+2^{l-1} n\right). On the other hand we have
2lf(m+n)=2l12f(m+n)2l1(f(m+n)+f(m)+f(n))=2l1(f(2m+n)+f(n))=f(2lm+2l1n)+f(2l1n)2^{l} f(m+n)=2^{l-1} \cdot 2 f(m+n) \neq 2^{l-1}(f(m+n)+f(m)+f(n))=2^{l-1}(f(2 m+n)+f(n))=f\left(2^{l} m+2^{l-1} n\right)+f\left(2^{l-1} n\right).
Therefore 2lm+2l1n2^{l} m+2^{l-1} n and 2l1n2^{l-1} n have different color, which means 2lm+2l1n2^{l} m+2^{l-1} n is black.

Combining the two lemmas give jm+2l1nj m+2^{l-1} n is black for all j2lj \geq 2^{l} and every l1l \geq 1.

Now write m=2l1mm=2^{l-1} m' with mm' odd. Let tt be a number such that 2t1m\frac{2^{t}-1}{m'} is an integer and j=2t1mn2lj=\frac{2^{t}-1}{m'} n \geq 2^{l}, i.e. tt is some multiple of ϕ(m)\phi\left(m'\right). Then we must have that jm+2l1nj m+2^{l-1} n is black, but by definition jm+2l1n=(2t1)2l1n+2l1n=2t+l1nj m+2^{l-1} n=\left(2^{t}-1\right) 2^{l-1} n+2^{l-1} n=2^{t+l-1} n is white. This is a contradiction, so k=2k=2 is impossible.

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