Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Argentina

Let nn be a positive integer. Find all nn-tuples (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) of distinct positive integers such that
(a1+d)(a2+d)(an+d)a1a2an \frac{(a_1+d)(a_2+d)\dots(a_n+d)}{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n}
is an integer for every integer d0d \ge 0.

Solution

Let
M(d)=(a1+d)(a2+d)(an+d)a1a2an. M(d) = \frac{(a_1+d)(a_2+d)\dots(a_n+d)}{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n}.
The key to the proof is to notice that the assumption that M(d)M(d) is an integer for every non-negative integer dd implies indeed that M(d)M(d) is an integer for all integer dd: if d<0d < 0, consider d=da1an+dd' = |d| a_1 \dots a_n + d; then, dd+d0d' \ge |d| + d \ge 0 and so, M(d)M(d') is integer. Then, (a1+d)(a2+d)(an+d)0(moda1an)(a_1+d')(a_2+d')\dots(a_n+d') \equiv 0 \pmod{a_1 \dots a_n}; since dd(moda1an)d' \equiv d \pmod{a_1 \dots a_n}, we deduce that (a1+d)(a2+d)(an+d)0(moda1an)(a_1+d)(a_2+d)\dots(a_n+d) \equiv 0 \pmod{a_1 \dots a_n} and, therefore, M(d)M(d) is an integer. We will now show that ak=ka_k = k for every 1kn1 \le k \le n. We proceed inductively. Assuming that ai=ia_i = i for every i<ki < k, for k1k \ge 1, we will show that ak=ka_k = k. Consider M(k)M(-k). By the induction hypothesis, we have that
M(k)=(1)k1(k1)!(akk)(ak+1k)(ank)(k1)!akak+1an=(1)k1(akk)(ak+1k)(ank)akak+1an. M(-k) = \frac{(-1)^{k-1}(k-1)!(a_k-k)(a_{k+1}-k)\dots(a_n-k)}{(k-1)! a_k a_{k+1} \dots a_n} = \frac{(-1)^{k-1}(a_k-k)(a_{k+1}-k)\dots(a_n-k)}{a_k a_{k+1} \dots a_n}.
If ak>ka_k > k, then 0<ajk<aj0 < a_j - k < a_j for every kjnk \le j \le n, and so, we have that
0<(akk)(ak+1k)(ank)<akak+1an, 0 < (a_k - k)(a_{k+1} - k)\dots(a_n - k) < a_k a_{k+1} \dots a_n,
which implies that 0<M(k)<10 < |M(-k)| < 1. This contradicts the fact that M(k)M(-k) is an integer. Therefore, ak=ka_k = k, which completes the induction.

We conclude that ak=ka_k = k for every 1kn1 \le k \le n. To finish the proof, note that the condition in the statement holds for these values, since for every integer d0d \ge 0, we have M(d)=(n+dn)M(d) = \binom{n+d}{n}, which is integer.

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