Number theoryDifficulty 6.8National olympiadProve itIran
Let α be a real number and a1,a2,a3,… a strictly increasing sequence of positive integers such that for every n∈N, an≤nα. A prime number q is called golden if there is a positive integer m such that q∣am. Suppose that q1<q2<q3<… are all golden prime numbers. a) Prove that if α=1.5, then qn≤1390n.
b) Prove that if α=2.4, then qn≤13902n.
Solution
a) Denote by t the number of golden prime numbers less than or equal to 1390n. We want to show that t≥n. Suppose that S is collection of all natural numbers less than or equal to 1390n with prime factors from the set {q1,q2,…,qt}. Obviously each element of S can be written in the form a2b where a,b∈N and b is out of square. So a≤1390n=13902n and b=q1α1q2α2…qtαt such that αi∈{0,1}. Therefore a and b have 13902n and 2t states respectively, and so ∣S∣≤2t×13902n.
On the other hand for each integer 1≤i≤k=1390n2 we have ai≤i1.5≤k1.5=1390n2×1.5=1390n. And all prime divisors of ai are in the set {q1,q2,…,qt}, so ai∈S (1≤i≤1390n2). Therefore S has at least ∣k∣ elements. So 1390n2−1<∣k∣≤∣S∣≤2t×13902n, But it is easy to check that 2×139021≤1390n2−1 and this implies t≥n, because 2n×139021=(2×13902)n≤(13903−1)n≤1390n2−1<2t×13902. □
b) The proof of this part is very similar to part a. Denote by t the number of golden prime numbers less than or equal to 13902n. We want to show that t≥n. Suppose that S is collection of all natural numbers less than or equal to 13902n with prime factors from the set {q1,q2,…,qt}. Then every element of S can be written in the form a4b2c where a,b,c∈N and b,c are out of square. (In part a writing a as x2y where x,y∈N and y is out of square implies this claim.) Now a≤413902n=13904n, b=q1α1q2α2…qtαt and c=q1β1q2β2…qtβt such that αi,βi∈{0,1}. Thus we have 13902n,2t and 2t states for a,b and c respectively and so ∣S∣≤22t×13902n.
In this case if 1≤i≤k=13906 (i∈N) then ai≤i2.4≤k2.4=13906 (i×2.4≤k≤i2.4). Although prime divisors of ai (1≤i≤k) are in the set {q1,q2,…,qt} so ai∈S, hence 1390n5−1<k≤∣S∣≤22t×13902n. On the other hand 4×13902≤13906−1 and so 22n×13902=(4×13902)n≤(13906−1)n≤13906−1<22t×13902, which implies t≥n. □
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