Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /37 of 69

Algebra Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it Mongolia

x0=ax_0 = a, x1=2x_1 = 2, xn=2xn1xn2xn1xn2+1x_n = 2x_{n-1}x_{n-2} - x_{n-1} - x_{n-2} + 1. Find all integers aa such that 2x3n2x_{3n} are perfect squares for nN\forall n \in \mathbb{N}.

Solution

If we substitute an=2xn1a_n = 2x_n - 1 in the 2xn1=2(2xn1xn2xn1xn2+1)1=(2xn11)(2xn21)2x_n - 1 = 2(2x_{n-1}x_{n-2} - x_{n-1} - x_{n-2} + 1) - 1 = (2x_{n-1} - 1)(2x_{n-2} - 1) we get an=an1an2a_n = a_{n-1}a_{n-2}. Initial conditions of the recurrence relation are a1=221=3a_1 = 2 \cdot 2 - 1 = 3, a0=2a1a_0 = 2a - 1. It is required that a0=2a1a_0 = 2a - 1 must be a perfect square. Since a0=(2k+1)2=4k2+4k+1=2a1a_0 = (2k + 1)^2 = 4k^2 + 4k + 1 = 2a - 1, we get a=2k2+2k+1a = 2k^2 + 2k + 1.

Now let us prove that if kZ:a=2k2+2k+1\forall k \in \mathbb{Z}: a = 2k^2 + 2k + 1 then nN\forall n \in \mathbb{N}, 2x3n12x_{3n} - 1 are perfect squares.

Moreover it is possible to prove for nN\forall n \in \mathbb{N} terms a3na_{3n} are perfect squares and terms a3n+1a_{3n+1}, a3n+2a_{3n+2} are of the form 3s23s^2, sZs \in \mathbb{Z}.

Let's proceed by induction. Base of induction is trivial.

If a3n=k2a_{3n} = k^2 and a3n+1=3m2a_{3n+1} = 3m^2 then a3n+2=k23m2=3(km)2a_{3n+2} = k^2 \cdot 3m^2 = 3(km)^2.

If a3n+1=3k2a_{3n+1} = 3k^2 and a3n+2=3m2a_{3n+2} = 3m^2 then a3n+3=(3km)2a_{3n+3} = (3km)^2.

If a3n+2=3k2a_{3n+2} = 3k^2 and a3n+3=m2a_{3n+3} = m^2 then a3n+4=3(km)2a_{3n+4} = 3(km)^2.

Thus we conclude for the numbers a=2k2+2k+1a = 2k^2 + 2k + 1, kZ\forall k \in \mathbb{Z} all terms of the progression with the form a3n=2x3n1a_{3n} = 2x_{3n} - 1 are perfect squares.

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 and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.