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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let nn be a positive integer. Find the number of permutations a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n} of the sequence 1,2,,n1,2, \ldots, n satisfying
a12a23a3nan a_{1} \leqslant 2 a_{2} \leqslant 3 a_{3} \leqslant \ldots \leqslant n a_{n}

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Denote by PnP_{n} the number of permutations that satisfy (*). It is easy to see that P1=1P_{1}=1 and P2=2P_{2}=2.

Lemma 1. Let n3n \geqslant 3. If a permutation a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} satisfies (*) then either an=na_{n}=n, or an1=na_{n-1}=n and an=n1a_{n}=n-1.

Proof. Let kk be the index for which ak=na_{k}=n. If k=nk=n then we are done.
If k=n1k=n-1 then, by ()(*), we have n(n1)=(n1)an1nann(n-1)=(n-1) a_{n-1} \leqslant n a_{n}, so ann1a_{n} \geqslant n-1. Since anan1=na_{n} \neq a_{n-1}=n, the only choice for ana_{n} is an=n1a_{n}=n-1.
Now suppose that kn2k \leqslant n-2. For every k<i<nk<i<n we have kn=kakiai<naik n=k a_{k} \leqslant i a_{i}<n a_{i}, so aik+1a_{i} \geqslant k+1. Moreover, nan(n1)an1(n1)(k+1)=nk+(n1k)>nkn a_{n} \geqslant(n-1) a_{n-1} \geqslant(n-1)(k+1)=n k+(n-1-k)>n k, so ank+1a_{n} \geqslant k+1. Now the nk+1n-k+1 numbers ak,ak+1,,ana_{k}, a_{k+1}, \ldots, a_{n} are all greater than kk; but there are only nkn-k such values; this is not possible.
If an=na_{n}=n then a1,a2,,an1a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n-1} must be a permutation of the numbers 1,,n11, \ldots, n-1 satisfying a12a2(n1)an1a_{1} \leqslant 2 a_{2} \leqslant \ldots \leqslant(n-1) a_{n-1}; there are Pn1P_{n-1} such permutations. The last inequality in (*), (n1)an1nan=n2(n-1) a_{n-1} \leqslant n a_{n}=n^{2}, holds true automatically.
If (an1,an)=(n,n1)(a_{n-1}, a_{n})=(n, n-1), then a1,,an2a_{1}, \ldots, a_{n-2} must be a permutation of 1,,n21, \ldots, n-2 satisfying a1(n2)an2a_{1} \leqslant \ldots \leqslant(n-2) a_{n-2}; there are Pn2P_{n-2} such permutations. The last two inequalities in (*) hold true automatically by (n2)an2(n2)2<n(n1)=(n1)an1=nan(n-2) a_{n-2} \leqslant(n-2)^{2}<n(n-1)=(n-1) a_{n-1}=n a_{n}.
Hence, the sequence ( P1,P2,P_{1}, P_{2}, \ldots ) satisfies the recurrence relation Pn=Pn1+Pn2P_{n}=P_{n-1}+P_{n-2} for n3n \geqslant 3. The first two elements are P1=F2P_{1}=F_{2} and P2=F3P_{2}=F_{3}, so by a trivial induction we have Pn=Fn+1P_{n}=F_{n+1}.

Solution 2

We claim that all sought permutations are of the following kind. Split {1,2,,n}\{1,2, \ldots, n\} into singletons and pairs of adjacent numbers. In each pair, swap the two numbers and keep the singletons unchanged.
Such permutations correspond to tilings of a 1×n1 \times n chessboard using dominoes and unit squares; it is well-known that the number of such tilings is the Fibonacci number Fn+1F_{n+1}.
The claim follows by induction from

Lemma 2. Assume that a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} is a permutation satisfying (*), and kk is an integer such that 1kn1 \leqslant k \leqslant n and {a1,a2,,ak1}={1,2,,k1}\{a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{k-1}\}=\{1,2, \ldots, k-1\}. (If k=1k=1, the condition is empty.) Then either ak=ka_{k}=k, or ak=k+1a_{k}=k+1 and ak+1=ka_{k+1}=k.

Proof. Choose tt with at=ka_{t}=k. Since k{a1,,ak1}k \notin\{a_{1}, \ldots, a_{k-1}\}, we have either t=kt=k or t>kt>k. If t=kt=k then we are done, so assume t>kt>k.
Notice that one of the numbers among the tkt-k numbers ak,ak+1,,at1a_{k}, a_{k+1}, \ldots, a_{t-1} is at least tt, because there are only tk1t-k-1 values between kk and tt. Let ii be an index with ki<tk \leqslant i<t and aita_{i} \geqslant t; then kt=tatiaiitktk t=t a_{t} \geqslant i a_{i} \geqslant i t \geqslant k t, so that all the inequalities turn into equalities, hence i=ki=k and ak=ta_{k}=t. If t=k+1t=k+1, we are done.
Suppose that t>k+1t>k+1. Then the chain of inequalities kt=kaktat=ktk t=k a_{k} \leqslant \ldots \leqslant t a_{t}=k t should also turn into a chain of equalities. From this point we can find contradictions in several ways; for example by pointing to at1=ktt1=k+kt1a_{t-1}=\frac{k t}{t-1}=k+\frac{k}{t-1} which cannot be an integer, or considering
the product of the numbers (k+1)ak+1,,(t1)at1(k+1) a_{k+1}, \ldots,(t-1) a_{t-1}; the numbers ak+1,,at1a_{k+1}, \ldots, a_{t-1} are distinct and greater than kk, so
(kt)tk1=(k+1)ak+1(k+2)ak+2(t1)at1((k+1)(k+2)(t1))2. (k t)^{t-k-1}=(k+1) a_{k+1} \cdot(k+2) a_{k+2} \cdot \ldots \cdot(t-1) a_{t-1} \geqslant((k+1)(k+2) \cdot \ldots \cdot(t-1))^{2} .
Notice that (k+i)(ti)=kt+i(tki)>kt(k+i)(t-i)=k t+i(t-k-i)>k t for 1i<tk1 \leqslant i<t-k. This leads to the contradiction
(kt)tk1((k+1)(k+2)(t1))2=i=1tk1(k+i)(ti)>(kt)tk1 (k t)^{t-k-1} \geqslant((k+1)(k+2) \cdot \ldots \cdot(t-1))^{2}=\prod_{i=1}^{t-k-1}(k+i)(t-i)>(k t)^{t-k-1}
Therefore, the case t>k+1t>k+1 is not possible.

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