Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Czech-Polish-Slovak Mathematical Match

Let a1=a2=1a_1 = a_2 = 1 and ak+2=ak+1+aka_{k+2} = a_{k+1} + a_k for any kNk \in \mathbb{N} (the Fibonacci sequence). Prove that for any natural number mm there exists an index kk such that the number ak4ak2a_k^4 - a_k - 2 is divisible by mm.

Solution

All the congruences and remainder classes below are meant mod mm. We obtain the desired congruence relation ak4ak20a_k^4 - a_k - 2 \equiv 0 as a consequence of the simpler relation ak1a_k \equiv -1.

The sequence of remainder classes of the numbers aka_k has the following property: the remainder classes of any two consecutive elements aka_k, ak+1a_{k+1} determine uniquely the remainder classes of all subsequent elements aia_i (i>k+1i > k + 1), as well as of all elements aia_i (i<ki < k) preceding them. By the standard argument, based on the fact that the number of ordered pairs of remainder classes is m2m^2, hence finite, it follows that the sequence of remainder classes of the elements aia_i is periodic, starting already from its first member. Thus there exists a number p>0p > 0 (depending on the given modulus mm) such that aiai+pa_i \equiv a_{i+p} for any index ii. Unless m=1m = 1 (then the problem is trivial), clearly p>1p > 1. Since a1a21a_1 \equiv a_2 \equiv 1, we also have ap+1ap+21a_{p+1} \equiv a_{p+2} \equiv 1, whence ap0a_p \equiv 0 and ap11a_{p-1} \equiv -1, so we can take k=p1k = p-1 and the proof is finished.

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