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Number theory Difficulty 6.4 National Olympiad Prove it South Africa

Determine all sequences a1,a2,a3,a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots of nonnegative integers such that a1<a2<a3<a_1 < a_2 < a_3 < \dots and ana_n divides an1+na_{n-1} + n for all n2n \ge 2.

Solution

We claim that the only possible sequences are the following:
* an=n1a_n = n - 1 for all nn, or
* an=n2+n2+ka_n = \frac{n^2+n}{2} + k for all nn, where kk is a fixed nonnegative integer, or
* an={n1nN,n2+n2N2N+22n>N,a_n = \begin{cases} n-1 & n \le N, \\ \frac{n^2+n}{2} - \frac{N^2-N+2}{2} & n > N, \end{cases} where NN is a fixed nonnegative integer.

Let us first verify that each of these sequences satisfies the conditions:
* If an=n1a_n = n - 1 for all nn, then an1+n=2n2=2ana_{n-1} + n = 2n - 2 = 2a_n is indeed divisible by ana_n.
* If an=n2+n2+ka_n = \frac{n^2+n}{2} + k for all nn, then an1+n=n2n2+k+n=n2+n2+k=ana_{n-1} + n = \frac{n^2-n}{2} + k + n = \frac{n^2+n}{2} + k = a_n is also divisible by ana_n.
* In the third case, ana_n divides an1+na_{n-1} + n for nNn \le N as in the first case. Next note that aN+1=(N+1)2+(N+1)2N2N+22=2Na_{N+1} = \frac{(N+1)^2+(N+1)}{2} - \frac{N^2-N+2}{2} = 2N divides aN+(N+1)=2Na_N + (N+1) = 2N. Finally, for n>N+1n > N+1, we have an=an1+na_n = a_{n-1} + n as in the second case, so ana_n again divides an1+na_{n-1} + n.

Now we prove that these are the only such sequences. First, let aka_k be an element of the sequence such that akka_k \ge k (if such an element exists). Recall that ak+k+1a_k + k + 1 has to be a multiple of ak+1a_{k+1}. However, since ak+1>aka_{k+1} > a_k, we have
2ak+12(ak+1)>2ak+1ak+k+1. 2a_{k+1} \ge 2(a_k + 1) > 2a_k + 1 \ge a_k + k + 1.
So the only possible multiple of ak+1a_{k+1} that ak+k+1a_k + k + 1 could be is 1ak+11 \cdot a_{k+1}, and it follows that ak+1=ak+k+1a_{k+1} = a_k + k + 1. But then ak+1k+k+1k+1a_{k+1} \ge k + k + 1 \ge k + 1, so we can repeat the argument with k+1k+1 instead of kk to show that ak+2=ak+1+k+2a_{k+2} = a_{k+1} + k + 2, etc. Generally, we get an+1=an+n+1a_{n+1} = a_n + n + 1 for all nkn \ge k.

If a11a_1 \ge 1, then we can invoke this observation immediately: an+1=an+n+1a_{n+1} = a_n + n + 1 for all n1n \ge 1, so
an=an1+n=an2+(n1)+n==a1+2+3++(n1)+n=n2+n2+(a11), a_n = a_{n-1} + n = a_{n-2} + (n-1) + n = \dots = a_1 + 2 + 3 + \dots + (n-1) + n = \frac{n^2+n}{2} + (a_1 - 1),
which is exactly our second solution.

Suppose finally that a1=0a_1 = 0, and let NN be the largest index for which aN=N1a_N = N - 1; if there is no largest index, then an=n1a_n = n - 1 for all nn, and we obtain the first solution. Next note that aN+1a_{N+1} has to divide aN+N+1=2Na_N + N + 1 = 2N. By our choice of NN, we have aN+1Na_{N+1} \ne N, and since aN+1>aN=N1a_{N+1} > a_N = N - 1, the only possible value (the only divisor of 2N2N) for aN+1a_{N+1} is 2N2N. But then aN+1=2NN+1a_{N+1} = 2N \ge N + 1, and we can apply the same observation as before: am+1=am+m+1a_{m+1} = a_m + m + 1 for all mNm \ge N, thus
an=an1+n==aN+(N+1)+(N+2)++(N1)+n==(N1)+n2+n2N2+N2=n2+n2N2N+22 a_n = a_{n-1} + n = \dots = a_N + (N+1) + (N+2) + \dots + (N-1) + n = \\ = (N-1) + \frac{n^2+n}{2} - \frac{N^2+N}{2} = \frac{n^2+n}{2} - \frac{N^2-N+2}{2}
for all n>Nn > N, which is indeed the third solution.

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