Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / Singapur /23 of 23

Singapur, 2015

Combinatorics Difficulty 6.8 National Olympiad Prove it Singapore

Let n>3n > 3 be a given integer. Find the largest integer dd (in terms of nn) such that for any set SS of nn integers, there are four distinct (but not necessarily disjoint) nonempty subsets, the sum of the elements of each of which is divisible by dd.

Solution

d≥nd \ge n is not possible. To see this, take a set SS of nn integers so that each element of SS is equal to 1(modn)1 \pmod{n}. The sum of any nonempty subset TT of SS is equal to #T(modd)\#T \pmod{d}. Since d≥nd \ge n, the only possibility for this to hold is if d=nd=n and #T=n\#T=n, i.e., T=ST=S. This proves that d≥nd \ge n fails the given condition.

d=n−1d=n-1 is not possible. In this case, take a set S={a1,…,an}S = \{a_1, \dots, a_n\} of nn integers so that a1=0a_1 = 0 and ai=1(modd)a_i = 1 \pmod{d} if 1<i≤n1 < i \le n. The only subsets of SS whose sums are divisible by dd are:
{a1},{a2,…,an}andS. \{a_1\}, \{a_2, \dots, a_n\} \quad \text{and} \quad S.
We will show that d=n−2d=n-2 satisfies the given condition. So the largest dd is n−2n-2.

Lemma. (Erdös) Any set of nn integers has nonempty subset whose sum is divisible by nn.

Consider a set of nn integers {a1,…,an}\{a_1, \dots, a_n\}. Consider the set of nn numbers {a1,a1+a2,…,a1+⋯+an}\{a_1, a_1 + a_2, \dots, a_1 + \dots + a_n\}. If one of these numbers is equal to 0(modn)0 \pmod{n}, then we are done. Otherwise, there are two of them that are equal (mod nn). Say
a1+⋯+ai=a1+⋯+aj(modn),i<j. a_1 + \dots + a_i = a_1 + \dots + a_j \pmod{n}, i < j.
Then ai+1+⋯+aj=0(modn)a_{i+1} + \dots + a_j = 0 \pmod{n}.

We return to the proof that n−2n-2 satisfies the given condition. Let S={a1,…,an}S = \{a_1, \dots, a_n\} be a set of nn integers. By the lemma, there is a subset T1T_1 of {a1,…,an−2}\{a_1, \dots, a_{n-2}\} whose sum is divisible by n−2n-2. We may also assume that T1T_1 is minimal in the sense that removal of any element from T1T_1 would either render it empty, or make the sum of its elements indivisible by n−2n-2. Take ai∈T1a_i \in T_1. Choose nonempty subset T2T_2 of S∖{ai,an−1}S \setminus \{a_i, a_{n-1}\} whose sum is divisible by n−2n-2. Clearly, T1≠T2T_1 \neq T_2.

If T1∩T2=∅T_1 \cap T_2 = \emptyset, pick ai∈T1,aj∈T2a_i \in T_1, a_j \in T_2 and let I=S∖{ai,aj}I = S \setminus \{a_i, a_j\}. By the lemma, there exists a subset T3T_3 of II whose sum is divisible by n−2n-2. Clearly, T1,T2,T1∪T2T_1, T_2, T_1 \cup T_2 and T3T_3 are four distinct sets, the sum of the elements of each of which is divisible by n−2n-2.

The previous paragraph shows that if there are two disjoint nonempty subsets of SS whose sums are both divisible by n−2n-2, then we are done. Assume that this does not occur. Let T1T_1 and T2T_2 be two distinct subsets of SS whose sums are divisible by n−2n-2. Choose ai≠aja_i \neq a_j so that ai∈T1a_i \in T_1 and aj∈T2a_j \in T_2. By the Lemma, there exists a subset T3T_3 of S∖{ai,aj}S \setminus \{a_i, a_j\} whose sum is divisible by n−2n-2. In particular, T3T_3 is different from both T1T_1 and T2T_2. Moreover, by the previous paragraph, we may assume that Ti∩Tj≠∅T_i \cap T_j \neq \emptyset if 1≤i<j≤31 \le i < j \le 3. Then we can choose two distinct points ara_r and asa_s so that {ar,as}∩Ti≠∅\{a_r, a_s\} \cap T_i \neq \emptyset for i=1,2,3i=1, 2, 3. Use the lemma again to find T4⊆S∖{ar,as}T_4 \subseteq S \setminus \{a_r, a_s\} so that the sum of the elements in T4T_4 is divisible by n−2n-2. By construction T4T_4 is different from T1,T2T_1, T_2 and T3T_3.

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