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Number theory Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Bulgaria

Let n4n \ge 4 be an integer number and Sn={1,2,3,,2n}S_n = \{1, 2, 3, \dots, 2^n\}. Two sets A,BA, B are given, ASn,BSnSn1A \subset S_n, B \subset S_n \setminus S_{n-1}, such that A=n+1,B=2|A| = n+1, |B| = 2. Is it possible ab1ab-1 be a perfect cube for any aA,bBa \in A, b \in B?
(Dragomir Grozev)

Solution

Answer: NO. Let us argue by contradiction. Arrange the numbers in AA and BB in increasing order 1a1<a2<<an+12n1 \le a_1 < a_2 < \dots < a_{n+1} \le 2^n and 2n1<b1<b22n2^{n-1} < b_1 < b_2 \le 2^n. Apparently, there exists an index ini \le n such that ai<ai+12aia_i < a_{i+1} \le 2a_i. We denote:
aib11=q13,ai+1b21=q23,aib21=s13,ai+1b11=s23. a_i b_1 - 1 = q_1^3,\quad a_{i+1} b_2 - 1 = q_2^3,\quad a_i b_2 - 1 = s_1^3,\quad a_{i+1} b_1 - 1 = s_2^3.
From ai<ai+12aia_i < a_{i+1} \le 2a_i and b1<b2<2b1b_1 < b_2 < 2b_1 it follows
q1<s1,s2<q2<2q1(1). q_1 < s_1,\quad s_2 < q_2 < 2q_1 \quad (1).

(q1q2)3+q13+q23+1=(s1s2)3+s13+s23+1(2). (q_1 q_2)^3 + q_1^3 + q_2^3 + 1 = (s_1 s_2)^3 + s_1^3 + s_2^3 + 1 \quad (2).

Using (1) it can be seen that if q1q2>s1s2q_1q_2 > s_1s_2 or q1q2<s1s2q_1q_2 < s_1s_2 the equality (2) cannot hold. Thus, q1q2=s1s2q_1q_2 = s_1s_2. Let us consider the function f(x)=x3+Cx3f(x) = x^3 + \frac{C}{x^3} in the interval x[q1,q2]x \in [q_1, q_2], where C=(q1q2)3C = (q_1q_2)^3. It decreases in [q1,q1q2][q_1, \sqrt{q_1q_2}] and increases in [q1q2,q2][\sqrt{q_1q_2}, q_2], hence it attains its maximum value at the ends of this interval, f(q1)=f(q2)=q13+q23f(q_1) = f(q_2) = q_1^3 + q_2^3. Therefore, the equality (2), provided that (1) holds, is true only if (q1,q2)=(s1,s2)(q_1, q_2) = (s_1, s_2), which is the needed contradiction. \Box

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