Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /1 of 9

Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Benelux Mathematical Olympiad

Problem:
A sequence a1,a2,a3,a_{1}, a_{2}, a_{3}, \ldots of positive integers satisfies a1>5a_{1}>5 and an+1=5+6++ana_{n+1}=5+6+\cdots+a_{n} for all positive integers nn. Determine all prime numbers pp such that, regardless of the value of a1a_{1}, this sequence must contain a multiple of pp.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:
We claim that the only prime number of which the sequence must contain a multiple is p=2p=2. To prove this, we begin by noting that
an+1=an(an+1)210=(an4)(an+5)2 a_{n+1}=\frac{a_{n}\left(a_{n}+1\right)}{2}-10=\frac{\left(a_{n}-4\right)\left(a_{n}+5\right)}{2}
Let p>2p>2 be an odd prime, and choose a14(modp)a_{1} \equiv -4 \pmod{p}, so 2a2(44)(4+5)8(modp)2 a_{2} \equiv (-4-4)(-4+5) \equiv -8 \pmod{p}, whence a24(modp)a_{2} \equiv -4 \pmod{p}, since pp is odd. By induction, an4(modp)≢0(modp)a_{n} \equiv -4 \pmod{p} \not\equiv 0 \pmod{p} for all nn, and so the sequence need not contain a multiple of pp.
We are left to show that the sequence must contain an even number. Suppose to the contrary that ana_{n} is odd for n=1,2,n=1,2, \ldots We observe that
an+1an=an(an+1)2an1(an1+1)2=anan12(an+an1+1) a_{n+1}-a_{n}=\frac{a_{n}\left(a_{n}+1\right)}{2}-\frac{a_{n-1}\left(a_{n-1}+1\right)}{2}=\frac{a_{n}-a_{n-1}}{2}\left(a_{n}+a_{n-1}+1\right)
By assumption, an+an1+1a_{n}+a_{n-1}+1 is odd for n=1,2,n=1,2, \ldots, so this shows that v2(an+1an)=v2(anan1)1v_{2}\left(a_{n+1}-a_{n}\right)=v_{2}\left(a_{n}-a_{n-1}\right)-1, and so there exists NN such that v2(aN+1aN)=0v_{2}\left(a_{N+1}-a_{N}\right)=0. This is a contradiction, because an+1ana_{n+1}-a_{n} is even for n=1,2,n=1,2, \ldots by assumption, and thus completes the proof.

Solution 2

Solution:
For odd pp, proceed as in solution 1. Now let p=2p=2, and suppose that every term of the sequence is odd. We claim that it follows that an5(mod2k)a_{n} \equiv 5 \pmod{2^{k}} for every integer n1n \geq 1 and every integer k1k \geq 1. We proceed per induction on kk. For k=1k=1 this simply states that ana_{n} is odd for all integers n1n \geq 1, as assumed. Now suppose it is true for k=rk=r. Let k=r+1k=r+1. Take any integer n1n \geq 1. Note that, by the induction hypothesis, an5(mod2r)a_{n} \equiv 5 \pmod{2^{r}}. Therefore there exists an integer ss such that an=2rs+5a_{n}=2^{r} s+5. Now note that
an+1=(an4)(an+5)2=(2rs+1)(2rs+10)2=(2rs+1)(2r1s+5)2r1s+5(mod2r) a_{n+1}=\frac{\left(a_{n}-4\right)\left(a_{n}+5\right)}{2}=\frac{\left(2^{r} s+1\right)\left(2^{r} s+10\right)}{2}=\left(2^{r} s+1\right)\left(2^{r-1} s+5\right) \equiv 2^{r-1} s+5 \pmod{2^{r}}
By the induction hypothesis, an+15(mod2r)a_{n+1} \equiv 5 \pmod{2^{r}}. Therefore ss is even, such that ana_{n} is of the form 2r+1s+52^{r+1} s+5 for any integer n1n \geq 1, which concludes the induction. From this property, it follows that a15a_{1}-5 is divisible by 2k2^{k} for every integer k1k \geq 1, which is only possible if a1=5a_{1}=5. But a1>5a_{1}>5, so this is a contradiction.

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 reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.