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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it Belarus

Find the smallest number nn with the following property: if among the numbers from 11 to 10001000 we choose nn numbers such that no two of them are divisible by the square of the same prime number, then at least one of these numbers is necessarily the square of a prime number.

Solution

Answer: 617617.

To begin with, let's give an example of 616616 numbers from 11 to 10001000, among which there are no prime squares and no two of which are divisible by the square of a prime. To do this, take 88 numbers of the form 2p22p^2 not exceeding 500500, where pp is a prime number:
222, 232, 252, 272, 2112, 2132, 2172, 2192 2 \cdot 2^2,\ 2 \cdot 3^2,\ 2 \cdot 5^2,\ 2 \cdot 7^2,\ 2 \cdot 11^2,\ 2 \cdot 13^2,\ 2 \cdot 17^2,\ 2 \cdot 19^2
and also all natural numbers from 11 to 10001000, free from squares (that is, not divisible by the square of any prime number). There are only 608608 of them. To make sure of this, use the inclusion-exclusion formula:
10001i111000pi2+1i<j111000pi2pj21i<j<k111000pi2pj2pk2, 1000 - \sum_{1 \le i \le 11} \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{p_i^2} \right\rfloor + \sum_{1 \le i < j \le 11} \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{p_i^2 p_j^2} \right\rfloor - \sum_{1 \le i < j < k \le 11} \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{p_i^2 p_j^2 p_k^2} \right\rfloor,
where p1=2p_1 = 2, p2=3p_2 = 3, p3=5p_3 = 5, p4=7p_4 = 7, p5=11p_5 = 11, p6=13p_6 = 13, p7=17p_7 = 17, p8=19p_8 = 19, p9=23p_9 = 23, p10=29p_{10} = 29, p11=31p_{11} = 31. We get
1000(250+111+40+20+8+5+3+2+1+1+1)+(10002232+10002252+10002272+100022112+100022132+10003252+10003272)1000223252=1000442+(27+10+5+2+1+4+2)1=558+511=608. \begin{aligned} 1000 & - (250 + 111 + 40 + 20 + 8 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1) \\ & + \left( \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 3^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 5^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 7^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 11^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 13^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{3^2 5^2} \right\rfloor + \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{3^2 7^2} \right\rfloor \right) \\ & - \left\lfloor \frac{1000}{2^2 3^2 5^2} \right\rfloor = 1000 - 442 + (27 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 2) - 1 = 558 + 51 - 1 = 608. \end{aligned}
Now let's say there are 617617 numbers from 11 to 10001000, among which there are no squares of prime numbers. Let us show that there are two of them that are divisible by the square of the same prime. Indeed, since there are only 608608 natural numbers not exceeding 10001000 and free from squares, then at least nine of these numbers are divisible by squares of prime numbers. Let us denote these numbers by a1,a2,,a9a_1, a_2, \dots, a_9, and for each 1i91 \le i \le 9 let qi2q_i^2 be the square of a prime dividing aia_i. If all qi2q_i^2 are different, then some of them, say qk2q_k^2, is not less than 232=52923^2 = 529. But since akqk2a_k \ne q_k^2, then ak2qk2=1048a_k \ge 2q_k^2 = 1048. Contradiction. Therefore, there are two numbers divisible by the square of the same prime.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.