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Combinatorics Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Prove it Singapore

For each integer n>1n > 1, find a set of nn integers {a1,a2,,an}\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} such that the set of numbers {ai+aj1ijn}\{a_i + a_j \mid 1 \le i \le j \le n\} leave distinct remainders when divided by n(n+1)/2n(n+1)/2. If such a set of integers does not exist, give a proof.

Solution

For n=2n = 2, n(n+1)/2=3n(n+1)/2 = 3. Thus a1=1a_1 = 1, a2=2a_2 = 2 work.

Now suppose that n3n \ge 3 and that the set {a1,,an}\{a_1, \dots, a_n\} has the desired properties. We may assume without loss of generality, that 1a1<a2<<ann(n+1)21 \le a_1 < a_2 < \dots < a_n \le \frac{n(n+1)}{2}. Also let an+1=a1+n(n+1)2a_{n+1} = a_1 + \frac{n(n+1)}{2}.

First we note that for any two distinct pairs of integers {i,j}\{i, j\} and {k,}\{k, \ell\}, i<j,k<i < j, k < \ell, chosen from {1,2,,n+1}\{1, 2, \dots, n+1\}, ajaiaaka_j - a_i \ne a_\ell - a_k for if they are equal, we would have aj+ak=ai+aa_j + a_k = a_i + a_\ell. In particular, the integers ai+1aia_{i+1} - a_i, i=1,,ni = 1, \dots, n are distinct. Since an+1a1=n(n+1)2a_{n+1} - a_1 = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}, these differences are 1,2,,n1, 2, \dots, n. This also means that ajain+1a_j - a_i \ge n+1 if ji2j-i \ge 2.

Let tt be the integer such that at+1at=1a_{t+1} - a_t = 1. Then since both at+2ata_{t+2} - a_t and at+1at1a_{t+1} - a_{t-1} are n+1\ge n+1, at+2at+1=atat2=na_{t+2} - a_{t+1} = a_t - a_{t-2} = n which is impossible unless t=1t=1 or t=nt=n. By symmetry, we can take t=1t=1. Then, a2a1=1a_2 - a_1 = 1 and a3a2=na_3 - a_2 = n. For n=3n=3, this means a3=a2+3a_3 = a_2 + 3. Also we have n(n+1)/2=6n(n+1)/2 = 6. Thus a2+a2a3+a3(mod6)a_2 + a_2 \equiv a_3 + a_3 \pmod 6. So such a set does not exist for n=3n=3.

Now let n4n \ge 4 and ss be such that as+1as=2a_{s+1} - a_s = 2. Then s3s \ge 3. By the same argument as before, we have as+2as+1a_{s+2} - a_{s+1} and asas1a_s - a_{s-1} are both either nn or n1n-1. This is possible only when s=3s = 3 or nn. Thus either a5a3=n+1a_5 - a_3 = n+1 or an+1an1=n+1a_{n+1} - a_{n-1} = n+1. Therefore one of these equals a3a1=n+1a_3 - a_1 = n+1 which is not possible. Thus the desired set of integers does not exist.

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