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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it India

Problem:

Define a sequence ann0\langle a_{n}\rangle_{n \geq 0} by a0=0a_{0}=0, a1=1a_{1}=1 and
an=2an1+an2 a_{n}=2 a_{n-1}+a_{n-2}
for n2n \geq 2.

a. For every m>0m>0 and 0jm0 \leq j \leq m, prove that 2am2 a_{m} divides am+j+(1)jamja_{m+j}+(-1)^{j} a_{m-j}.

b. Suppose 2k2^{k} divides nn for some natural numbers nn and kk. Prove that 2k2^{k} divides ana_{n}.

Solution

Solution:

a.
Consider f(j)=am+j+(1)jamjf(j)=a_{m+j}+(-1)^{j} a_{m-j}, 0jm0 \leq j \leq m, where mm is a natural number. We observe that f(0)=2amf(0)=2 a_{m} is divisible by 2am2 a_{m}. Similarly,
f(1)=am+1am1=2am f(1)=a_{m+1}-a_{m-1}=2 a_{m}
is also divisible by 2am2 a_{m}. Assume that 2am2 a_{m} divides f(j)f(j) for all 0j<l0 \leq j<l, where lml \leq m. We prove that 2am2 a_{m} divides f(l)f(l). Observe
f(l1)=am+l1+(1)l1aml+1f(l2)=am+l2+(1)l2aml+2 \begin{aligned} & f(l-1)=a_{m+l-1}+(-1)^{l-1} a_{m-l+1} \\ & f(l-2)=a_{m+l-2}+(-1)^{l-2} a_{m-l+2} \end{aligned}
Thus we have
am+l=2am+l1+am+l2=2f(l1)2(1)l1aml+1+f(l2)(1)l2aml+2=2f(l1)+f(l2)+(1)l1(aml+22aml+1)=2f(l1)+f(l2)+(1)l1aml \begin{aligned} a_{m+l} & =2 a_{m+l-1}+a_{m+l-2} \\ & =2 f(l-1)-2(-1)^{l-1} a_{m-l+1}+f(l-2)-(-1)^{l-2} a_{m-l+2} \\ & =2 f(l-1)+f(l-2)+(-1)^{l-1}\left(a_{m-l+2}-2 a_{m-l+1}\right) \\ & =2 f(l-1)+f(l-2)+(-1)^{l-1} a_{m-l} \end{aligned}
This gives
f(l)=2f(l1)+f(l2) f(l)=2 f(l-1)+f(l-2)
By induction hypothesis 2am2 a_{m} divides f(l1)f(l-1) and f(l2)f(l-2). Hence 2am2 a_{m} divides f(l)f(l). We conclude that 2am2 a_{m} divides f(j)f(j) for 0jm0 \leq j \leq m.

b.
We see that f(m)=a2mf(m)=a_{2 m}. Hence 2am2 a_{m} divides a2ma_{2 m} for all natural numbers mm. Let n=2kln=2^{k} l for some l1l \geq 1. Taking m=2k1lm=2^{k-1} l, we see that 2am2 a_{m} divides ana_{n}. Using an easy induction, we conclude that 2kal2^{k} a_{l} divides ana_{n}. In particular 2k2^{k} divides ana_{n}.

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