Number theoryDifficulty 5.5AIME, harderProve itBelarus
Find the minimum prime number p such that {p}<5011 (where {⋅} stands for the fractional part).
Solution
Answer: minp=F4=216+1. It is known that Fermat's number F4 is prime. It is easy to verify that {F4}<5011. Indeed, the latter inequality is equivalent to 216+1−256<5011, i.e. 2562+1+2561<5011 which follows from 2⋅2561<5011. So, F4 satisfies the condition of the problem.
Now let p<F4; we prove that the inequality {p}<5011(∗) is impossible. Indeed, let n2<p<(n+1)2, then p=n2+a where 1≤a≤2n. Then [p]=n, hence (∗)⇔n2+a−n<5011⇔n2+a<n2+5012n+50121⇔n>2501a−10021. If a≥2 then n≥500⇒p>F4 — a contradiction. So, a=1 and n≥251, i.e. p≥2512+1. Note that 2512+1,2512+3,2512+5 are even, so are not prime. Further, 2522+1 is composite, since it is divisible by 5. Finally, show that 2542+1 is divisible by 149. We have the following chain of congruences modulo 149: 2542+1≡(−44)2+1≡91322+9≡9172+9≡9298≡0(mod149). Thus 2542+1 is composite, so p=2562+1 is minimal possible.
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