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Number theory Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Serbia

Problem:

For a given natural number kk, let nkn_{k} be the smallest natural number such that there exists a finite set AA of integers with the following properties:
- for every aAa \in A there exist x,yAx, y \in A (not necessarily distinct) such that
nkaxy n_{k} \mid a-x-y
- there does not exist a subset BB of the set AA for which Bk|B| \leqslant k and nkbBbn_{k} \mid \sum_{b \in B} b.
Prove that for all k,k3k, k \geqslant 3, it holds that
nk<(138)k+2 n_{k}<\left(\frac{13}{8}\right)^{k+2}

Solution

Solution:

We denote by FiF_{i} the Fibonacci numbers: F1=F2=1,Fi+1=Fi+Fi1F_{1}=F_{2}=1, F_{i+1}=F_{i}+F_{i-1}. Let us consider the set A={a1,a2,,ak+1}A=\{a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{k+1}\} with n=Fk+2+3n=F_{k+2}+3, where
ai=(1)k1iFi+1 for i=1,2,,k1,ak=Fk+1andak+1=Fk+2 a_{i}=(-1)^{k-1-i} F_{i+1} \text{ for } i=1,2, \ldots, k-1, \quad a_{k}=F_{k}+1 \quad \text{and} \quad a_{k+1}=F_{k}+2
In the case of even kk we see that ai=ai+1+ai+2(1ik3),ak2ak+ak+1a_{i}=a_{i+1}+a_{i+2}(1 \leqslant i \leqslant k-3), a_{k-2} \equiv a_{k}+a_{k+1} (modn),ak1=ak+1+a2,ak=ak1+a1(\bmod n), a_{k-1}=a_{k+1}+a_{2}, a_{k}=a_{k-1}+a_{1} and ak+1=ak+a1a_{k+1}=a_{k}+a_{1}, so the set AA satisfies the first condition of the problem. This condition is checked similarly for odd kk.

Let us prove by induction on kk (the base case k=3k=3 is checked directly) that the second condition is also satisfied, i.e., that there does not exist a subset BAB \subsetneq A such that nbBbn \mid \sum_{b \in B} b. Since the sum of the elements of the set AA equals zero, we may assume without loss of generality (by replacing BB with A\BA \backslash B if necessary) that BB contains at most one of the elements Fk,Fk+1,Fk+2F_{k}, F_{k}+1, F_{k}+2. Then
1Fk=(Fk1+Fk3+)bBb(Fk+2)+Fk2+Fk4+=Fk+1+11-F_{k}=-\left(F_{k-1}+F_{k-3}+\cdots\right) \leqslant \sum_{b \in B} b \leqslant\left(F_{k}+2\right)+F_{k-2}+F_{k-4}+\cdots=F_{k+1}+1,
so it must be that bBb=0\sum_{b \in B} b=0. Based on the induction hypothesis for k1k-1, the set BB cannot be a subset of the set {a1,a2,,ak2}\{a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{k-2}\}, i.e., it must be that ak1=FkBa_{k-1}=F_{k} \in B. However, then bBbFkFk1Fk3=1\sum_{b \in B} b \geqslant F_{k}-F_{k-1}-F_{k-3}-\cdots=1, which is a contradiction. The proof is complete.

Therefore, nkFk+2+3<ϕk3(F5+3)<ϕk+2<(138)k+2n_{k} \leqslant F_{k+2}+3<\phi^{k-3}\left(F_{5}+3\right)<\phi^{k+2}<\left(\frac{13}{8}\right)^{k+2}, where ϕ=1+52\phi=\frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from sr; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.