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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.1 Shortlist Prove it Turkey

There are nn stone piles each consisting of 20182018 stones. The weight of each stone is equal to one of the numbers 1,2,,251, 2, \ldots, 25 and the total weights of any two piles are different. It is given that if we choose any two piles and remove the heaviest and lightest stones from each of these two piles then the pile which was the heavier one becomes the lighter one. Determine the maximal possible value of nn.

Solution

The answer: n=12n = 12. We numerate the piles according to their weights in increasing order. Let SiS_i and SiS'_i be the weights of pile number ii before and after removing of two stones. Then S1<S2<<SnS_1 < S_2 < \dots < S_n and S1>S2>>SnS'_1 > S'_2 > \dots > S'_n. Let S1S1=xS_1 - S'_1 = x. Then S2S2x+2,,SnSnx+2(n1)S_2 - S'_2 \ge x+2, \dots, S_n - S'_n \ge x+2(n-1). Now note that the heaviest stone removed from pile number one weights at least S1/2016S_1/2016 (it is not lighter than the average weight of all remaining stones). Therefore,
S1S1=xS12016+1. S_1 - S'_1 = x \ge \frac{S_1}{2016} + 1.
Similarly, the lightest stone removed from pile number nn is at most Sn/2016S'_n/2016. Therefore,
Sn2016+25SnSnx+2(n1). \frac{S'_n}{2016} + 25 \ge S_n - S'_n \ge x + 2(n-1).
These two inequalities imply that
SnS12016+242(n1) and n<13. \frac{S'_n - S'_1}{2016} + 24 \ge 2(n-1) \text{ and } n < 13.
Let us show that n=12n = 12 is possible. Below mm denotes the stone weighted mm. It can be readily verified that if for k=1,2,,12k = 1, 2, \dots, 12 the pile number kk consists of 11 stone 2k2k, 2004+k2004+k stones 2424 and 13k13-k stones 2525 then the conditions are satisfied. Done.

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