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Number theory Difficulty 9.0 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let SS be a nonempty set of positive integers. We say that a positive integer nn is clean if it has a unique representation as a sum of an odd number of distinct elements from SS. Prove that there exist infinitely many positive integers that are not clean.
(U.S.A.)

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Define an odd (respectively, even) representation of nn to be a representation of nn as a sum of an odd (respectively, even) number of distinct elements of SS. Let Z>0\mathbb{Z}_{>0} denote the set of all positive integers.
Suppose, to the contrary, that there exist only finitely many positive integers that are not clean. Therefore, there exists a positive integer NN such that every integer n>Nn > N has exactly one odd representation.
Clearly, SS is infinite. We now claim the following properties of odd and even representations.

Property 1. Any positive integer nn has at most one odd and at most one even representation.

Proof. We first show that every integer nn has at most one even representation. Since SS is infinite, there exists xSx \in S such that x>max{n,N}x > \max \{ n, N \}. Then, the number n+xn + x must be clean, and xx does not appear in any even representation of nn. If nn has more than one even representation, then we obtain two distinct odd representations of n+xn + x by adding xx to the even representations of nn, which is impossible. Therefore, nn can have at most one even representation.

Similarly, there exist two distinct elements y,zSy, z \in S such that y,z>max{n,N}y, z > \max \{ n, N \}. If nn has more than one odd representation, then we obtain two distinct odd representations of n+y+zn + y + z by adding yy and zz to the odd representations of nn. This is again a contradiction.

Property 2. Fix sSs \in S. Suppose that a number n>Nn > N has no even representation. Then n+2asn + 2 a s has an even representation containing ss for all integers a1a \geqslant 1.

Proof. It is sufficient to prove the following statement: If nn has no even representation without ss, then n+2sn + 2s has an even representation containing ss (and hence no even representation without ss by Property 1).

Notice that the odd representation of n+sn + s does not contain ss; otherwise, we have an even representation of nn without ss. Then, adding ss to this odd representation of n+sn + s, we get that n+2sn + 2s has an even representation containing ss, as desired.

Property 3. Every sufficiently large integer has an even representation.

Proof. Fix any sSs \in S, and let rr be an arbitrary element in {1,2,,2s}\{ 1, 2, \ldots, 2s \}. Then, Property 2 implies that the set Zr={r+2as:a0}Z_r = \{ r + 2 a s : a \geqslant 0 \} contains at most one number exceeding NN with no even representation. Therefore, ZrZ_r contains finitely many positive integers with no even representation, and so does Z>0=r=12sZr\mathbb{Z}_{>0} = \bigcup_{r=1}^{2s} Z_r.

In view of Properties 1 and 3, we may assume that NN is chosen such that every n>Nn > N has exactly one odd and exactly one even representation. In particular, each element s>Ns > N of SS has an even representation.

Property 4. For any s,tSs, t \in S with N<s<tN < s < t, the even representation of tt contains ss.

Proof. Suppose the contrary. Then, s+ts + t has at least two odd representations: one obtained by adding ss to the even representation of tt and one obtained by adding tt to the even representation of ss. Since the latter does not contain ss, these two odd representations of s+ts + t are distinct, a contradiction.

Let s1<s2<s_1 < s_2 < \cdots be all the elements of SS, and set σn=i=1nsi\sigma_n = \sum_{i=1}^n s_i for each nonnegative integer nn. Fix an integer kk such that sk>Ns_k > N. Then, Property 4 implies that for every i>ki > k the even representation of sis_i contains all the numbers sk,sk+1,,si1s_k, s_{k+1}, \ldots, s_{i-1}. Therefore,
si=sk+sk+1++si1+Ri=σi1σk1+Ri \begin{equation*} s_i = s_k + s_{k+1} + \cdots + s_{i-1} + R_i = \sigma_{i-1} - \sigma_{k-1} + R_i \tag{1} \end{equation*}
where RiR_i is a sum of some of s1,,sk1s_1, \ldots, s_{k-1}. In particular, 0Ris1++sk1=σk10 \leqslant R_i \leqslant s_1 + \cdots + s_{k-1} = \sigma_{k-1}.

Let j0j_0 be an integer satisfying j0>kj_0 > k and σj0>2σk1\sigma_{j_0} > 2 \sigma_{k-1}. Then (1) shows that, for every j>j0j > j_0,
sj+1σjσk1>σj/2 \begin{equation*} s_{j+1} \geqslant \sigma_j - \sigma_{k-1} > \sigma_j / 2 \tag{2} \end{equation*}
Next, let p>j0p > j_0 be an index such that Rp=mini>j0RiR_p = \min_{i > j_0} R_i. Then,
sp+1=sk+sk+1++sp+Rp+1=(spRp)+sp+Rp+12sp. s_{p+1} = s_k + s_{k+1} + \cdots + s_p + R_{p+1} = (s_p - R_p) + s_p + R_{p+1} \geqslant 2 s_p .
Therefore, there is no element of SS larger than sps_p but smaller than 2sp2 s_p. It follows that the even representation τ\tau of 2sp2 s_p does not contain any element larger than sps_p. On the other hand, inequality (2) yields 2sp>s1++sp12 s_p > s_1 + \cdots + s_{p-1}, so τ\tau must contain a term larger than sp1s_{p-1}. Thus, it must contain sps_p. After removing sps_p from τ\tau, we have that sps_p has an odd representation not containing sps_p, which contradicts Property 1 since sps_p itself also forms an odd representation of sps_p.

Solution 2

We will also use Property 1 from Solution 1.

We first define some terminology and notations used in this solution. Let Z0\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} denote the set of all nonnegative integers. All sums mentioned are regarded as sums of distinct elements of SS. Moreover, a sum is called even or odd depending on the parity of the number of terms in it. All closed or open intervals refer to sets of all integers inside them, e.g., [a,b]={xZ:axb}[a, b] = \{ x \in \mathbb{Z} : a \leqslant x \leqslant b \}.

Again, let s1<s2<s_1 < s_2 < \cdots be all elements of SS, and denote σn=i=1nsi\sigma_n = \sum_{i=1}^n s_i for each positive integer nn. Let OnO_n (respectively, EnE_n) be the set of numbers representable as an odd (respectively, even) sum of elements of {s1,,sn}\{ s_1, \ldots, s_n \}. Set E=n=1EnE = \bigcup_{n=1}^{\infty} E_n and O=n=1OnO = \bigcup_{n=1}^{\infty} O_n. We assume that 0En0 \in E_n since 0 is representable as a sum of 0 terms.

We now proceed to our proof. Assume, to the contrary, that there exist only finitely many positive integers that are not clean and denote the number of non-clean positive integers by m1m-1. Clearly, SS is infinite. By Property 1 from Solution 1, every positive integer nn has at most one odd and at most one even representation.

Step 1. We estimate sn+1s_{n+1} and σn+1\sigma_{n+1}.

Upper bounds: Property 1 yields On=En=2n1|O_n| = |E_n| = 2^{n-1}, so [1,2n1+m]Onm|[1, 2^{n-1} + m] \setminus O_n| \geqslant m. Hence, there exists a clean integer xn[1,2n1+m]Onx_n \in [1, 2^{n-1} + m] \setminus O_n. The definition of OnO_n then yields that the odd representation of xnx_n contains a term larger than sns_n. Therefore, sn+1xn2n1+ms_{n+1} \leqslant x_n \leqslant 2^{n-1} + m for every positive integer nn. Moreover, since s1s_1 is the smallest clean number, we get σ1=s1m\sigma_1 = s_1 \leqslant m. Then,
σn+1=i=2n+1si+s1i=2n+1(2i2+m)+m=2n1+(n+1)m \sigma_{n+1} = \sum_{i=2}^{n+1} s_i + s_1 \leqslant \sum_{i=2}^{n+1} (2^{i-2} + m) + m = 2^n - 1 + (n+1)m
for every positive integer nn. Notice that this estimate also holds for n=0n = 0.

Lower bounds: Since On+1[1,σn+1]O_{n+1} \subseteq [1, \sigma_{n+1}], we have σn+1On+1=2n\sigma_{n+1} \geqslant |O_{n+1}| = 2^n for all positive integers nn. Then,
sn+1=σn+1σn2n(2n11+nm)=2n1+1nm s_{n+1} = \sigma_{n+1} - \sigma_n \geqslant 2^n - (2^{n-1} - 1 + n m) = 2^{n-1} + 1 - n m
for every positive integer nn.

Combining the above inequalities, we have
2n1+1nmsn+12n1+m and 2nσn+12n1+(n+1)m, \begin{equation*} 2^{n-1} + 1 - n m \leqslant s_{n+1} \leqslant 2^{n-1} + m \quad \text{ and } \quad 2^n \leqslant \sigma_{n+1} \leqslant 2^n - 1 + (n+1)m, \tag{3} \end{equation*}
for every positive integer nn.

Step 2. We prove Property 3 from Solution 1.

For every integer xx and set of integers YY, define x±Y={x±y:yY}x \pm Y = \{ x \pm y : y \in Y \}.

In view of Property 1, we get
En+1=En(sn+1+On) and On+1=On(sn+1+En) E_{n+1} = E_n \sqcup (s_{n+1} + O_n) \quad \text{ and } \quad O_{n+1} = O_n \sqcup (s_{n+1} + E_n)
where \sqcup denotes the disjoint union operator. Notice also that sn+22n+1(n+1)m>2n11+nmσns_{n+2} \geqslant 2^n + 1 - (n+1)m > 2^{n-1} - 1 + n m \geqslant \sigma_n for every sufficiently large nn. We now claim the following.

Claim 1. (σnsn+1,sn+2sn+1)En\left( \sigma_n - s_{n+1}, s_{n+2} - s_{n+1} \right) \subseteq E_n for every sufficiently large nn.

Proof. For sufficiently large nn, all elements of (σn,sn+2)\left( \sigma_n, s_{n+2} \right) are clean. Clearly, the elements of (σn,sn+2)\left( \sigma_n, s_{n+2} \right) can be in neither OnO_n nor OOn+1O \setminus O_{n+1}. So, (σn,sn+2)On+1On=sn+1+En\left( \sigma_n, s_{n+2} \right) \subseteq O_{n+1} \setminus O_n = s_{n+1} + E_n, which yields the claim.

Now, Claim 1 together with inequalities (3) implies that, for all sufficiently large nn,
EEn(σnsn+1,sn+2sn+1)(2nm,2n1(n+2)m) E \supseteq E_n \supseteq \left( \sigma_n - s_{n+1}, s_{n+2} - s_{n+1} \right) \supseteq \left( 2 n m, 2^{n-1} - (n+2)m \right)
This easily yields that Z0E\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus E is also finite. Since Z0O\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus O is also finite, by Property 1, there exists a positive integer NN such that every integer n>Nn > N has exactly one even and one odd representation.

Step 3. We investigate the structures of EnE_n and OnO_n.

Suppose that zE2nz \in E_{2n}. Since zz can be represented as an even sum using {s1,s2,,s2n}\{ s_1, s_2, \ldots, s_{2n} \}, so can its complement σ2nz\sigma_{2n} - z. Thus, we get E2n=σ2nE2nE_{2n} = \sigma_{2n} - E_{2n}. Similarly, we have
E2n=σ2nE2n,O2n=σ2nO2n,E2n+1=σ2n+1O2n+1,O2n+1=σ2n+1E2n+1 \begin{equation*} E_{2n} = \sigma_{2n} - E_{2n}, \quad O_{2n} = \sigma_{2n} - O_{2n}, \quad E_{2n+1} = \sigma_{2n+1} - O_{2n+1}, \quad O_{2n+1} = \sigma_{2n+1} - E_{2n+1} \tag{4} \end{equation*}

Claim 2. For every sufficiently large nn, we have
[0,σn]On(N,σnN) and [0,σn]En(N,σnN) [0, \sigma_n] \supseteq O_n \supseteq (N, \sigma_n - N) \quad \text{ and } \quad [0, \sigma_n] \supseteq E_n \supseteq (N, \sigma_n - N)

Proof. Clearly On,En[0,σn]O_n, E_n \subseteq [0, \sigma_n] for every positive integer nn. We now prove On,En(N,σnN)O_n, E_n \supseteq (N, \sigma_n - N). Taking nn sufficiently large, we may assume that sn+12n1+1nm>12(2n11+nm)σn/2s_{n+1} \geqslant 2^{n-1} + 1 - n m > \frac{1}{2} (2^{n-1} - 1 + n m) \geqslant \sigma_n / 2. Therefore, the odd representation of every element of (N,σn/2](N, \sigma_n / 2] cannot contain a term larger than sns_n. Thus, (N,σn/2]On(N, \sigma_n / 2] \subseteq O_n. Similarly, since sn+1+s1>σn/2s_{n+1} + s_1 > \sigma_n / 2, we also have (N,σn/2]En(N, \sigma_n / 2] \subseteq E_n. Equations (4) then yield that, for sufficiently large nn, the interval (N,σnN)(N, \sigma_n - N) is a subset of both OnO_n and EnE_n, as desired.

Step 4. We obtain a final contradiction.

Notice that 0Z0O0 \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus O and 1Z0E1 \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus E. Therefore, the sets Z0O\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus O and Z0E\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus E are nonempty. Denote o=max(Z0O)o = \max (\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus O) and e=max(Z0E)e = \max (\mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 0} \setminus E). Observe also that e,oNe, o \leqslant N.

Taking kk sufficiently large, we may assume that σ2k>2N\sigma_{2k} > 2N and that Claim 2 holds for all n2kn \geqslant 2k. Due to (4) and Claim 2, we have that σ2ke\sigma_{2k} - e is the minimal number greater than NN which is not in E2kE_{2k}, i.e., σ2ke=s2k+1+s1\sigma_{2k} - e = s_{2k+1} + s_1. Similarly,
σ2ko=s2k+1,σ2k+1e=s2k+2, and σ2k+1o=s2k+2+s1. \sigma_{2k} - o = s_{2k+1}, \quad \sigma_{2k+1} - e = s_{2k+2}, \quad \text{ and } \quad \sigma_{2k+1} - o = s_{2k+2} + s_1 .
Therefore, we have
s1=(s2k+1+s1)s2k+1=(σ2ke)(σ2ko)=oe=(σ2k+1e)(σ2k+1o)=s2k+2(s2k+2+s1)=s1 \begin{aligned} s_1 & = (s_{2k+1} + s_1) - s_{2k+1} = (\sigma_{2k} - e) - (\sigma_{2k} - o) = o - e \\ & = (\sigma_{2k+1} - e) - (\sigma_{2k+1} - o) = s_{2k+2} - (s_{2k+2} + s_1) = -s_1 \end{aligned}
which is impossible since s1>0s_1 > 0.

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