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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Consider the sequence a1=1a_{1} = 1 and an+1=3an2+12ana_{n+1} = \frac{3 a_{n}^{2} + 1}{2} - a_{n} for n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \ldots. Prove that if nn is a power of 33 then nn divides ana_{n}.

Solution

The recursive relation is equivalent to
3an+11=12(9an26an+1),n=1,2, 3 a_{n+1} - 1 = \frac{1}{2} \left(9 a_{n}^{2} - 6 a_{n} + 1\right), \quad n = 1, 2, \ldots
Let xn=3an1x_{n} = 3 a_{n} - 1, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \ldots, and get x1=8=23x_{1} = 8 = 2^{3},
xn+1=12xn2,n=1,2, x_{n+1} = \frac{1}{2} x_{n}^{2}, \quad n = 1, 2, \ldots
Let xn=2ynx_{n} = 2^{y_{n}}, y1=3y_{1} = 3, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \ldots, and obtain
yn+1=2yn1,n=1,2, y_{n+1} = 2 y_{n} - 1, \quad n = 1, 2, \ldots
It follows yn=2n+1y_{n} = 2^{n} + 1, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \ldots, hence xn=22n+1x_{n} = 2^{2^{n} + 1}, and we get
an=13(22n+1),n=1,2, a_{n} = \frac{1}{3} \left(2^{2^{n}} + 1\right), \quad n = 1, 2, \ldots
If n=3kn = 3^{k}, then
223k=43k=(3+1)3k1(mod 3k+1) 2^{2 \cdot 3^{k}} = 4^{3^{k}} = (3 + 1)^{3^{k}} \equiv 1 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1})
hence
(23k1)(23k+1)0(mod 3k+1) \left(2^{3^{k}} - 1\right)\left(2^{3^{k}} + 1\right) \equiv 0 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1})
But, we have
23k1=(31)3k12(mod 3k+1) 2^{3^{k}} - 1 = (3 - 1)^{3^{k}} - 1 \equiv -2 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1})
and we obtain
23k+10(mod 3k+1) 2^{3^{k}} + 1 \equiv 0 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1})
hence
23k1(mod 3k+1). 2^{3^{k}} \equiv -1 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1}) .
It follows 23k=3k+1m12^{3^{k}} = 3^{k+1} m - 1, for some odd integer mm, hence
223k+1+1=23k+1m+1=(31)3k+1m+1(1)3k+1m+1(mod 3k+1)0(mod 3k+1) \begin{gathered} 2^{2^{3^{k}+1} + 1} = 2^{3^{k+1} m} + 1 = (3 - 1)^{3^{k+1} m} + 1 \\ \equiv (-1)^{3^{k+1} m} + 1 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1}) \equiv 0 \quad (\bmod\ 3^{k+1}) \end{gathered}
We obtain 3k+122n+13^{k+1} \mid 2^{2^{n}} + 1, hence 3kan3^{k} \mid a_{n}, that is nann \mid a_{n}.

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