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Number theory Difficulty 8.0 Shortlist Prove it Romania

The sequence (an)(a_n) of positive integers is defined by a1=1a_1 = 1 and an=(an1+1)2a_n = (a_{n-1}+1)^2 for n2n \ge 2. Let pp be an odd prime. Prove that a2papa_{2p} - a_p has at least pp pairwise distinct prime divisors.

Solution

Let b0=1b_0 = 1 and write bn=an+1b_n = a_n + 1, n1n \ge 1. Clearly, bn+1=bn2+1b_{n+1} = b_n^2 + 1, n0n \ge 0. If n>m1n > m \ge 1, it then follows that anam=bnbm=bn12bm12=(bn1bm1)(bn1bm1)a_n - a_m = b_n - b_m = b_{n-1}^2 - b_{m-1}^2 = (b_{n-1} - b_{m-1})(b_{n-1} - b_{m-1}), so

anam=bnbm=(bnmb0)k=0m1(bnm+k+bk).() a_n - a_m = b_n - b_m = (b_{n-m} - b_0) \prod_{k=0}^{m-1} (b_{n-m+k} + b_k). \quad (*)

a2pap=b2pbp=(bpb0)k=0p1(bp+k+bk). a_{2p} - a_p = b_{2p} - b_p = (b_p - b_0) \prod_{k=0}^{p-1} (b_{p+k} + b_k).
As parities of the bnb_n alternate and pp is odd, so is each of the factors above. We will prove that the pp factors bp+k+bkb_{p+k} + b_k are pairwise coprime, whence the conclusion.

Let 0k<p10 \le k < \ell \le p-1 and let d=gcd(bp+k+bk,bp++b)d = \gcd(b_{p+k} + b_k, b_{p+\ell} + b_\ell). By the preceding, dd is odd. Suppose, if possible, that d>1d > 1 and let \equiv denote congruence modulo dd. Then bp+kbkb_{p+k} \equiv -b_k, so bp+k+1=bp+k2+1bk2+1=bk+1b_{p+k+1} = b_{p+k}^2 + 1 \equiv b_k^2 + 1 = b_{k+1}. Continuing, bp+k+2=bp+k+12+1bk+12+1=bk+2b_{p+k+2} = b_{p+k+1}^2 + 1 \equiv b_{k+1}^2 + 1 = b_{k+2} and so on and so forth all the way up to get bp+bb_{p+\ell} \equiv b_\ell. On the other hand, bp+bb_{p+\ell} \equiv -b_\ell, so 2b02b_\ell \equiv 0. Hence b0b_\ell \equiv 0, as dd is odd, so b+1=b2+1b0b_{\ell+1} = b_\ell^2 + 1 \equiv b_0.
Consider any index jj in the range 00 through p1p-1 and use ()(*) to get
bj++1bj=(b+1b0)i=0j1(b+1+i+bi)0, b_{j+\ell+1} - b_j = (b_{\ell+1} - b_0) \prod_{i=0}^{j-1} (b_{\ell+1+i} + b_i) \equiv 0,
as b+1b0b_{\ell+1} \equiv b_0, by the preceding paragraph. Hence bj++1bjb_{j+\ell+1} \equiv b_j. Similarly, bj+2(+1)bj++1b_{j+2(\ell+1)} \equiv b_{j+\ell+1}, then bj+3(+1)bj+2(+1)b_{j+3(\ell+1)} \equiv b_{j+2(\ell+1)} and so on and so forth to conclude recursively that the sequence (bn)(b_n) is periodic modulo dd.
Let tt be the smallest period of the bnb_n (mod dd). Recall that bp+k+1bk+1b_{p+k+1} \equiv b_{k+1}, so tt divides pp. As pp is prime, either t=1t=1 or t=pt=p. The former case is ruled out, as b0=12=b1b_0 = 1 \ne 2 = b_1, so t=pt=p.
Hence bkbp+kbkb_k \equiv b_{p+k} \equiv -b_k, so bk0b_k \equiv 0, as dd is odd. Recalling that b0b_\ell \equiv 0, it follows that k\ell-k is divisible by pp. This is a contradiction, as 0<k<p0 < \ell-k < p.
Consequently, the pp numbers bp+k+bkb_{p+k}+b_k, k=0,1,,p1k=0, 1, \dots, p-1, are pairwise coprime, as stated. This ends the proof and completes the solution.

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