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Saudi Arabian Mathematical Competitions

Number theory Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it Saudi Arabia

We have n>2n > 2 nonzero integers such that every one of them is divisible by the sum of the other n−1n-1 numbers. Show that the sum of the nn numbers is precisely 00.

Solution

Let these numbers be a1,a2,…,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n and SS is the sum of these numbers. For every i∈{1,2,…,n}i \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\}, we have S−ai∣aiS - a_i \mid a_i, which means S−ai∤SS - a_i \nmid S. Suppose that S≠0S \neq 0, without the loss of generality, S>0S > 0. We investigate two cases

* If ∃i∈{1,2,…,n}\exists i \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\} such that ai<0a_i < 0 then ∣S−ai∣>∣S∣|S - a_i| > |S| so S−ai∤SS - a_i \nmid S.

* ai>0a_i > 0 for all i∈{1,2,…,n}i \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\}. Let aka_k be the smallest of a1,a2,…,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n. We have S−am>2am−am=amS - a_m > 2a_m - a_m = a_m, so S−am∤amS - a_m \nmid a_m.

Hence, S≠0S \neq 0 is impossible, which means S=0S = 0.

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