For each positive integer n≥3, define An and Bn as An=n2+1+n2+3+⋯+n2+2n−1, Bn=n2+2+n2+4+⋯+n2+2n. Determine all positive integers n≥3 for which ⌊An⌋=⌊Bn⌋.
Note. For any real number x, ⌊x⌋ denotes the largest integer N such that N≤x.
Solution
Let M=n2+21n.
Lemma 1.Bn−An<21.
Indeed, (Bn−An)=k=1∑n(n2+2k−n2+2k−1)=k=1∑nn2+2k+n2+2k−11<k=1∑n2n1=2nn=21 proving the lemma.
Lemma 2.An<M<Bn.
Proof. Observe that (An−n2)=k=1∑n(n2+2k−1−n)=k=1∑nn2+2k−1+n2k−1<k=1∑nn+n2k−1=2nn2=2n as ∑k=1n(2k−1)=n2, proving An−n2<2n or An<M. Similarly, (Bn−n2)=k=1∑n(n2+2k−n)=k=1∑nn2+2k+n2k>k=1∑n(n+1)+n2k=2n+1n(n+1)>2n as ∑k=1n(2k)=n(n+1), so Bn−n2>2n hence Bn>M, as desired. □
By Lemma 2, we see that An and Bn are positive real numbers containing M between them. When n is even, M is an integer. This implies ⌊An⌋<M, but ⌊Bn⌋≥M, which means we cannot have ⌊An⌋=⌊Bn⌋.
When n is odd, M is a half-integer, and thus M−21 and M+21 are consecutive integers. So the above two lemmas imply M−21<Bn−(Bn−An)=An<Bn=An+(Bn−An)<M+21. This shows ⌊An⌋=⌊Bn⌋=M−21.
Thus, the only integers n≥3 that satisfy the conditions are the odd numbers and all of them work. □
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.