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Number theory Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Croatia

Let (an)(a_n) be a sequence defined by
a0=9andak+1=3ak4+4ak3for all k0. a_0 = 9 \quad \text{and} \quad a_{k+1} = 3a_k^4 + 4a_k^3 \quad \text{for all } k \ge 0.
Prove that the decimal representation of a11a_{11} ends with at least 2011 digits 9.

Solution

We will prove by induction that for all n0n \ge 0, an1(mod102n)a_n \equiv -1 \pmod{10^{2^n}}.

Base case: n=0n = 0. a0=91(mod10)a_0 = 9 \equiv -1 \pmod{10}, since 9+1=109 + 1 = 10.

Inductive step: Assume an1(mod102n)a_n \equiv -1 \pmod{10^{2^n}}.

Consider an+1=3an4+4an3a_{n+1} = 3a_n^4 + 4a_n^3.

Let m=102nm = 10^{2^n}. Then an1(modm)a_n \equiv -1 \pmod{m}, so an=mt1a_n = m t - 1 for some integer tt.

Compute an+1a_{n+1} modulo m2=102n+1m^2 = 10^{2^{n+1}}:

an+1=3an4+4an3a_{n+1} = 3a_n^4 + 4a_n^3

Expand an3a_n^3 and an4a_n^4:

an3=(mt1)3=m3t33m2t2+3mt1a_n^3 = (m t - 1)^3 = m^3 t^3 - 3 m^2 t^2 + 3 m t - 1
an4=(mt1)4=m4t44m3t3+6m2t24mt+1a_n^4 = (m t - 1)^4 = m^4 t^4 - 4 m^3 t^3 + 6 m^2 t^2 - 4 m t + 1

So:
3an4=3(m4t44m3t3+6m2t24mt+1)=3m4t412m3t3+18m2t212mt+33a_n^4 = 3(m^4 t^4 - 4 m^3 t^3 + 6 m^2 t^2 - 4 m t + 1) = 3 m^4 t^4 - 12 m^3 t^3 + 18 m^2 t^2 - 12 m t + 3
4an3=4(m3t33m2t2+3mt1)=4m3t312m2t2+12mt44a_n^3 = 4(m^3 t^3 - 3 m^2 t^2 + 3 m t - 1) = 4 m^3 t^3 - 12 m^2 t^2 + 12 m t - 4

Add:
3an4+4an3=3a_n^4 + 4a_n^3 =
[3m4t4][3 m^4 t^4]
+[12m3t3+4m3t3]=8m3t3+ [-12 m^3 t^3 + 4 m^3 t^3] = -8 m^3 t^3
+[18m2t212m2t2]=6m2t2+ [18 m^2 t^2 - 12 m^2 t^2] = 6 m^2 t^2
+[12mt+12mt]=0+ [-12 m t + 12 m t] = 0
+[34]=1+ [3 - 4] = -1

So:
an+1=3m4t48m3t3+6m2t21a_{n+1} = 3 m^4 t^4 - 8 m^3 t^3 + 6 m^2 t^2 - 1

Now, m2=102n+1m^2 = 10^{2^{n+1}}, so all terms with m2m^2 or higher are divisible by m2m^2 and thus 0(modm2)\equiv 0 \pmod{m^2}.

Therefore, an+11(modm2)a_{n+1} \equiv -1 \pmod{m^2}, i.e., an+11(mod102n+1)a_{n+1} \equiv -1 \pmod{10^{2^{n+1}}}.

By induction, an1(mod102n)a_n \equiv -1 \pmod{10^{2^n}} for all nn.

For n=11n = 11, a111(mod10211)a_{11} \equiv -1 \pmod{10^{2^{11}}}, so the decimal representation of a11a_{11} ends with 211=20482^{11} = 2048 digits 9.

In particular, it ends with at least 2011 digits 9.

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