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Number theory Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

Find the minimum prime number pp such that {p}<1501\{\sqrt{p}\} < \frac{1}{501} (where {}\{\cdot\} stands for the fractional part).

Solution

Answer: minp=F4=216+1\min p = F_4 = 2^{16} + 1.
It is known that Fermat's number F4F_4 is prime. It is easy to verify that {F4}<1501\{\sqrt{F_4}\} < \frac{1}{501}. Indeed, the latter inequality is equivalent to 216+1256<1501\sqrt{2^{16} + 1} - 256 < \frac{1}{501}, i.e. 12562+1+256<1501\frac{1}{\sqrt{256^2 + 1} + 256} < \frac{1}{501} which follows from 12256<1501\frac{1}{2 \cdot 256} < \frac{1}{501}. So, F4F_4 satisfies the condition of the problem.

Now let p<F4p < F_4; we prove that the inequality
{p}<1501() \{\sqrt{p}\} < \frac{1}{501} \quad (*)
is impossible. Indeed, let n2<p<(n+1)2n^2 < p < (n+1)^2, then p=n2+ap = n^2 + a where 1a2n1 \le a \le 2n. Then [p]=n[\sqrt{p}] = n, hence
()n2+an<1501n2+a<n2+2n501+15012n>5012a11002. (*) \Leftrightarrow \sqrt{n^2 + a} - n < \frac{1}{501} \Leftrightarrow n^2 + a < n^2 + \frac{2n}{501} + \frac{1}{501^2} \Leftrightarrow n > \frac{501}{2}a - \frac{1}{1002}.
If a2a \ge 2 then n500p>F4n \ge 500 \Rightarrow p > F_4 — a contradiction. So, a=1a = 1 and n251n \ge 251, i.e. p2512+1p \ge 251^2+1. Note that 2512+1,2512+3,2512+5251^2+1, 251^2+3, 251^2+5 are even, so are not prime. Further, 2522+1252^2+1 is composite, since it is divisible by 5. Finally, show that 2542+1254^2+1 is divisible by 149. We have the following chain of congruences modulo 149:
2542+1(44)2+11322+99172+9929890(mod149). 254^2 + 1 \equiv (-44)^2 + 1 \equiv \frac{132^2 + 9}{9} \equiv \frac{17^2 + 9}{9} \equiv \frac{298}{9} \equiv 0 \pmod{149}.
Thus 2542+1254^2 + 1 is composite, so p=2562+1p = 256^2 + 1 is minimal possible.

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