Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2013

Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Baltic Way

Let a1=1a_1 = 1, a2=10a_2 = 10 and an+1=2an+3an1a_{n+1} = 2a_n + 3a_{n-1}, n>1n > 1. Then the infinite sum
P(x)=i=1aixi, P(x) = \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} a_i x^i,
is defined and finite for x]13,13[x \in ] -\frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{3}[. Find all yZy \in \mathbb{Z} such that
P(1y)Z. P\left(\frac{1}{y}\right) \in \mathbb{Z}.

Solution

Notice that an+1+an=3(an+an1)a_{n+1} + a_n = 3(a_n + a_{n-1}), and let bn=an+an1b_n = a_n + a_{n-1}, b>1b > 1. Then b2=11b_2 = 11 and bn=113n2b_n = 11 \cdot 3^{n-2}, n>1n > 1. Using this gives
(1+x)P(x)=a1+i=2aixi+i=2ai1xi==a1x+i=2bixi==x+119i=2(3x)i==x+1199x213x==8x2+x13x \begin{align*} (1+x)P(x) &= a_1 + \sum_{i=2}^{\infty} a_i x^i + \sum_{i=2}^{\infty} a_{i-1} x^i = \\ &= a_1 x + \sum_{i=2}^{\infty} b_i x^i = \\ &= x + \frac{11}{9} \sum_{i=2}^{\infty} (3x)^i = \\ &= x + \frac{11}{9} \cdot \frac{9x^2}{1-3x} = \\ &= \frac{8x^2 + x}{1-3x} \end{align*}
when x]13,13[x \in ] -\frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{3}[. Hence
P(x)=8x2+x(13x)(1+x)for all x]13,13[,P(x) = \frac{8x^2 + x}{(1 - 3x)(1 + x)} \quad \text{for all } x \in ] -\frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{3}[,
and
P(1y)=8+y(y3)(y+1)=(y+1)+7(y3)(y+1)=(y3)+11(y3)(y+1) P\left(\frac{1}{y}\right) = \frac{8+y}{(y-3)(y+1)} = \frac{(y+1)+7}{(y-3)(y+1)} = \frac{(y-3)+11}{(y-3)(y+1)}
for all yZy \in \mathbb{Z} and y>3|y| > 3. Assume P(1y)ZP(\frac{1}{y}) \in \mathbb{Z} for some yZy \in \mathbb{Z} and y>3|y| > 3. Then y+17y+1 \mid 7 and y311y-3 \mid 11, and it is easy to see that y=8y = -8 is the only possibility. Since P(18)=0P(-\frac{1}{8}) = 0, y=8y = -8 is indeed a solution.

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