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Number theory Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Greece

Let (xn)(x_n), nNn \in \mathbb{N}^* be a sequence which is recursively defined by
xn+1=3xn3+xn,x_{n+1} = 3x_n^3 + x_n,
where x1=abx_1 = \frac{a}{b}, and a,ba, b are positive integers such that 33 doesn't divide bb. If for some positive integer mm we have that xmx_m is a perfect square of a rational, prove that x1x_1 is a perfect square of a rational.

Solution

We will prove that if xn+1x_{n+1} is a perfect square of a rational, then xnx_n is also a perfect square of a rational, and the desired result is obtained by a simple induction.

Note first that since 33 doesn't divide bb, it will not divide any of the denominators of the sequence terms.

From the recursive relation we have that xm=3xm13+xm1x_m = 3x_{m-1}^3 + x_{m-1}. Setting xm1=pqx_{m-1} = \frac{p}{q} where qq is not divisible by 33 (*) and (p,q)=1(p,q)=1, then
xm=3xm13+xm1=3p3+pq2q3=p(3p2+q2)q3. x_m = 3x_{m-1}^3 + x_{m-1} = \frac{3p^3 + pq^2}{q^3} = \frac{p(3p^2 + q^2)}{q^3}.
Since (p,q)=1(p,q)=1, this is the reduced form of xmx_m. Indeed, the numbers p(3p2+q2)p(3p^2+q^2), q3q^3 are coprime, since if ss is a prime dividing both of them, then sq3sqs|q^3 \Rightarrow s|q and s3p2+q2s|3p^2+q^2 so s3p2s|3p^2. But ss doesn't divide pp, so s3s=3s|3 \Rightarrow s=3, 3q3|q, absurd due to (*).

Moreover xmx_m is a perfect square so both numerator and denominator in the reduced form should be perfect squares.
Since the denominator is a perfect square, qq is a perfect square, let it be q=a2q = a^2. For the numerator, we have p(3p2+q2)=κ2p(3p^2+q^2) = \kappa^2, so both of them should be perfect squares since they are coprime.

Therefore, p=b2p = b^2, 3p2+q2=c23p^2 + q^2 = c^2 and xm1=pq=b2a2x_{m-1} = \frac{p}{q} = \frac{b^2}{a^2}, so xm1x_{m-1} is a perfect square of a rational.

Similarly, going back xm2x_{m-2} is also a perfect square of a rational, and so on, till we arrive at x1x_1.

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