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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME Prove it Romania

Determine the positive integers n3n \ge 3 such that, for every integer m0m \ge 0, there exist integers a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n such that a1+a2++an=0a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 0 and a1a2+a2a3++an1an+ana1=ma_1a_2 + a_2a_3 + \dots + a_{n-1}a_n + a_na_1 = -m.

Solution

Any n5n \ge 5 has the desired property: one can choose a1=1ma_1 = 1 - m, a2=a3==an3=0a_2 = a_3 = \dots = a_{n-3} = 0, an2=1a_{n-2} = -1, an1=ma_{n-1} = m, an=0a_n = 0.

Numbers n=3n = 3 and n=4n = 4 do not have the property.

For n=3n = 3, 2m=2a1a2+2a2a3+2a3a1=(a1+a2+a3)2a12a22a32-2m = 2a_1a_2 + 2a_2a_3 + 2a_3a_1 = (a_1 + a_2 + a_3)^2 - a_1^2 - a_2^2 - a_3^2 comes to a12+a22+a32=2ma_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 = 2m, which does not hold for m=14m = 14. Indeed, 2828 can not be written as a sum of three perfect squares.

For n=4n = 4, m=a1a2+a2a3+a3a4+a4a1=(a1+a3)(a2+a4)=(a1+a3)2-m = a_1a_2 + a_2a_3 + a_3a_4 + a_4a_1 = (a_1+a_3)(a_2+a_4) = -(a_1+a_3)^2 can hold only if mm is a perfect square, i.e. it does not hold for all m0m \ge 0.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.