Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /55 of 87

Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National Olympiad Prove it Serbia

Problem:

For a natural number nn, we denote by v2(n)v_{2}(n) the largest integer k0k \geqslant 0 such that 2kn2^{k} \mid n. Suppose that the function f:NNf: \mathbb{N} \rightarrow \mathbb{N} satisfies the conditions:
(i) f(x)3xf(x) \leqslant 3 x for all xNx \in \mathbb{N};
(ii) v2(f(x)+f(y))=v2(x+y)v_{2}(f(x)+f(y))=v_{2}(x+y) for all x,yNx, y \in \mathbb{N}.
Prove that for every natural number aa there exists exactly one natural number xx such that f(x)=3af(x)=3 a.

Solution

Solution:

By substituting x=yx=y we obtain v2(f(x))=v2(x)v_{2}(f(x))=v_{2}(x). If v2(a)=k>0v_{2}(a)=k>0, by considering the function g(x)=f(2kx)/2kg(x)=f\left(2^{k} x\right) / 2^{k} we reduce the claim to the case of odd aa. Therefore, from now on we assume that 2a2 \nmid a.

Note that, if x≢y(mod2k)x \not \equiv y\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right), then f(x)≢f(y)(mod2k)f(x) \not \equiv f(y)\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right). Indeed, if zx(mod2k)z \equiv-x\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right), then 2kz+y2^{k} \nmid z+y, so f(y)≢f(z)f(x)(mod2k)f(y) \not \equiv-f(z) \equiv f(x)\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right). From this it also follows that the function ff is injective.

Let 2k1<3a<2k2^{k-1}<3 a<2^{k}, where kNk \in \mathbb{N}. Since f(1),f(3),,f(2k1)f(1), f(3), \ldots, f\left(2^{k}-1\right) are mutually distinct modulo 2k2^{k}, there exists an odd number x<2kx<2^{k} such that f(x)3af(x) \equiv 3 a (mod2k)\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right). Suppose that f(x)3af(x) \neq 3 a. Then f(x)>2kf(x)>2^{k}, so from f(x)+f(x)+ f(2kx)2k(mod2k+1)f\left(2^{k}-x\right) \equiv 2^{k}\left(\bmod 2^{k+1}\right) it follows that f(x)+f(2kx)32kf(x)+f\left(2^{k}-x\right) \geqslant 3 \cdot 2^{k}. However, on the other hand f(x)+f(2kx)3(x+(2kx))=32kf(x)+f\left(2^{k}-x\right) \leqslant 3\left(x+\left(2^{k}-x\right)\right)=3 \cdot 2^{k}, so this is possible only if f(x)=3xf(x)=3 x. From this xa(mod2k)x \equiv a\left(\bmod 2^{k}\right), so x=ax=a, i.e. again f(x)=3af(x)=3 a.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from sr; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.