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Number theory Difficulty 8.0 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let nn be a positive integer, and let AnA_n, respectively BnB_n, be the set of non-negative integers k<nk < n such that the number of distinct prime factors of gcd(k,n)\gcd(k, n) is even, respectively odd. Show that An=Bn|A_n| = |B_n| if nn is even, and An>Bn|A_n| > |B_n| if nn is odd.

Solution

Since gcd(k,n)\gcd(k, n) depends only upon the residue class of kk modulo nn, AnBn=k(1)s(k,n)|A_n| - |B_n| = \sum_k (-1)^{s(k,n)}, where s(k,n)s(k, n) is the number of distinct prime factors of gcd(k,n)\gcd(k, n), and kk ranges over any complete residue system modulo nn.
We shall prove that the above sum equals npn(12/p)n \prod_{p|n} (1 - 2/p), pp prime, whence the conclusion; the latter is precisely the number of positive integers k<nk < n such that kk and k+1k+1 are both coprime to nn.
In the above notation, let e(k,n)=(1)s(k,n)e(k, n) = (-1)^{s(k,n)} and let f(n)=ke(k,n)f(n) = \sum_k e(k, n). We show that ff is a numerical multiplicative function — that is, if n1n_1 and n2n_2 are coprime positive integers, then f(n1n2)=f(n1)f(n2)f(n_1n_2) = f(n_1)f(n_2).
If n1,n2n_1, n_2 are coprime positive integers, then e(k,n1n2)=e(k,n1)e(k,n2)e(k, n_1n_2) = e(k, n_1)e(k, n_2). Further, if kik_i ranges once over a complete residue system modulo nin_i, i=1,2i = 1, 2, then k=k1n2+k2n1k = k_1n_2 + k_2n_1 ranges once over a complete residue system modulo n1n2n_1n_2, and e(k,ni)=e(ki,ni)e(k, n_i) = e(k_i, n_i), i=1,2i = 1, 2. Hence e(k,n1n2)=e(k,n1)e(k,n2)=e(k1,n1)e(k2,n2)e(k, n_1n_2) = e(k, n_1)e(k, n_2) = e(k_1, n_1)e(k_2, n_2), and
f(n1n2)=ke(k,n1n2)=k1k2e(k1,n1)e(k2,n2)=f(n1)f(n2). f(n_1n_2) = \sum_k e(k, n_1n_2) = \sum_{k_1} \sum_{k_2} e(k_1, n_1)e(k_2, n_2) = f(n_1)f(n_2).
Finally, if pp is a prime, and mm is a positive integer, then f(pm)f(p^m) equals the number of kk's coprime to pp, which is pmpm1p^m - p^{m-1}, minus the number of kk's divisible by pp, which is pm1p^{m-1}, so f(pm)=pm(12/p)f(p^m) = p^m(1 - 2/p). This ends the proof.

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