Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 7.0 National Olympiad Prove it JBMO

Problem:

The positive integer kk and the set AA of different integers from 11 to 3k3k inclusive are such that there are no distinct a,b,ca, b, c in AA satisfying 2b=a+c2b = a + c. The numbers from AA in the interval [1,k][1, k] will be called small; those in [k+1,2k][k+1, 2k] - medium and those in [2k+1,3k][2k+1, 3k] - large. Is it always true that there are no positive integers xx and dd such that if x,x+dx, x+d and x+2dx+2d are divided by 3k3k then the remainders belong to AA and those of xx and x+dx+d are different and are:

a) small?
b) medium?
c) large?

(In this problem we assume that if a multiple of 3k3k is divided by 3k3k then the remainder is 3k3k rather than 00.)

Solution

Solution:

A counterexample for a) is k=3k=3, A={1,2,9}A=\{1,2,9\}, x=2x=2 and d=8d=8.
A counterexample for c) is k=3k=3, A={1,8,9}A=\{1,8,9\}, x=8x=8 and d=1d=1.

We will prove that b) is true.

Suppose the contrary and let x,dx, d have the above properties. We can assume 0<d<3k0 < d < 3k, 0<x3k0 < x \leq 3k (since for d=3kd=3k the remainders for xx and x+dx+d are equal). Hence 0<x+d<6k0 < x+d < 6k and there are two cases:

- If x+d>3kx+d > 3k, then since the remainder for x+dx+d is medium we have 4k<x+d5k4k < x+d \leq 5k. This means that the remainder of x+dx+d when it is divided by 3k3k is
x+d3k x+d-3k
Since xx is medium we have x2kx \leq 2k so d=(x+d)x>2kd = (x+d) - x > 2k. Therefore 6k=4k+2k<(x+d)+d<8k6k = 4k + 2k < (x+d) + d < 8k. This means that the remainder of x+2dx+2d when it is divided by 3k3k is
x+2d6k. x+2d-6k.
Thus the remainders (x+2d6k)(x+2d-6k), (x+d3k)(x+d-3k) and xx are in [1,3k][1,3k], they belong to AA and
2(x+d3k)=(x+2d6k)+x 2(x+d-3k) = (x+2d-6k) + x
a contradiction.

- If x+d3kx+d \leq 3k then as x+dx+d is medium we have k<x+d2kk < x+d \leq 2k. From the limitations on xx, we have x>kx > k so d=(x+d)x<kd = (x+d) - x < k. Hence 0x+2d=(x+d)+d<3k0 \leq x+2d = (x+d) + d < 3k. Thus the remainders x,x+dx, x+d and x+2dx+2d are in AA and
2(x+d)=(x+2d)+x 2(x+d) = (x+2d) + x
a contradiction.

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