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Number theory Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it Estonia

The mediant of two rational numbers uu and vv is x=a+cb+dx = \frac{a+c}{b+d}, where ab\frac{a}{b} and cd\frac{c}{d} are the reduced fractions of uu and vv respectively. Prove that for any two distinct positive rational numbers uu and xx, there exist infinitely many positive rational numbers vv, such that xx is the mediant of uu and vv.

Solution

Let u=abu = \frac{a}{b} and x=cdx = \frac{c}{d} be the reduced fractions of uu and xx. We are looking for rational numbers vv such that v=mcamdbv = \frac{mc-a}{md-b}, where mm is large enough integer such that mcamc-a and mdbmd-b are both positive. According to the definition, xx is the mediant of uu and vv as soon as mcamdb\frac{mc-a}{md-b} is irreducible. Let's show that there are infinitely many natural numbers mm such that mcamdb\frac{mc-a}{md-b} is irreducible. This will complete the solution.

Let us first prove a lemma: prime numbers which can be used to reduce the fractions are also the factors of adbcad - bc. Indeed, if pmcap \mid mc - a and pmdbp \mid md - b, then pamdbb(mca)=m(adbc)p \mid a md - b - b (mc - a) = m(ad - bc), therefore pmp \mid m or padbcp \mid ad - bc. If pmp \mid m, then pap \mid a and pbp \mid b which contradicts the irreducibility of the fraction ab\frac{a}{b}. Therefore padbcp \mid ad - bc.

As uu and xx are different, adbc0ad - bc \ne 0. Therefore the number adbcad - bc has a finite number of prime factors. Let p1,,plp_1, \dots, p_l be all the different prime factors which can reduce the fraction mcamdb\frac{mc-a}{md-b} for at least one mm and for each i=1,,li = 1, \dots, l let mim_i be natural number such that the fraction micamidb\frac{m_i c - a}{m_i d - b} is reducible with prime pip_i.

Let nn be an arbitrary factor for which the fraction ncandb\frac{nc-a}{nd-b} is not irreducible. This fraction must be reducible with some prime number pip_i which can also reduce the fraction micamidb\frac{m_i c - a}{m_i d - b}. Then pi(nmi)cp_i \mid (n - m_i)c and pi(nmi)dp_i \mid (n - m_i)d. Therefore pinmip_i \mid n - m_i as otherwise pcp \mid c and pdp \mid d which contradicts the irreducibility of the fraction cd\frac{c}{d}. Therefore nmi(modpi)n \equiv m_i \pmod{p_i}.

Therefore by choosing nn such that nmi+1(modpi)n \equiv m_i + 1 \pmod{p_i} for each i=1,,li = 1, \dots, l the fraction ncandb\frac{nc-a}{nd-b} must be irreducible. According to Chinese remainder theorem there are infinitely many natural numbers nn which satisfy such congruence system.

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