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Number theory Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it Serbia

Problem:

Let kk be a natural number. For nNn \in \mathbb{N} denote by fk(n)f_{k}(n) the smallest natural number greater than knk n such that nfk(n)n f_{k}(n) is a perfect square of a natural number. If fk(m)=fk(n)f_{k}(m)=f_{k}(n) holds, prove that m=nm=n.

Solution

Solution:

Assume that fk(m)=fk(n)=qf_{k}(m)=f_{k}(n)=q. Let us write the number qq in the form q=au2q=a u^{2}, where a,uNa, u \in \mathbb{N} and aa is not divisible by any perfect square greater than 1. Since mq=amu2m q=a m u^{2} is a perfect square, so is ama m, and it follows that m=av2m=a v^{2} for some vNv \in \mathbb{N}. Similarly, n=aw2n=a w^{2} for some wNw \in \mathbb{N}.
Since fk(av2)=au2f_{k}\left(a v^{2}\right)=a u^{2}, uu is the smallest natural number greater than vkv \sqrt{k}. Analogously, uu is the smallest natural number greater than wkw \sqrt{k}, so it must hold that vkwk<1|v \sqrt{k}-w \sqrt{k}|<1. However, from this it follows that vw<1k<1|v-w|<\frac{1}{\sqrt{k}}<1, so it must be that v=wv=w, i.e. m=nm=n.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from sr; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.