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Number theory Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Singapore

Let NN be a positive integer. Prove that there exists a positive integer nn such that n2013n20+n132013n^{2013} - n^{20} + n^{13} - 2013 has at least NN distinct prime factors.

Solution

The result is true for any nonconstant polynomial f(n)=amnm+am1nm1++a0f(n) = a_m n^m + a_{m-1} n^{m-1} + \dots + a_0 with integer coefficients. We may assume that am>0a_m > 0. Thus there exists a positive integer n0n_0 such that f(n)f(n) is positive and increasing on (n0,)(n_0, \infty).

It suffices to show that if for some n1>n0n_1 > n_0, f(n1)=p1r1pkrkf(n_1) = p_1^{r_1} \cdots p_k^{r_k} has exactly kk distinct prime factors, then for some n2>n1n_2 > n_1, f(n2)f(n_2) has more than kk prime factors. Given such an n1n_1, let n2=n1+p1r1+1pkrk+1n_2 = n_1 + p_1^{r_1+1} \cdots p_k^{r_k+1}. Then
f(n2)p1r1pkrk(modp1r1+1pkrk+1) f(n_2) \equiv p_1^{r_1} \cdots p_k^{r_k} \pmod{p_1^{r_1+1} \cdots p_k^{r_k+1}}
Hence, for each jj, 1jk1 \le j \le k, we have that pjrjp_j^{r_j} divides f(n2)f(n_2) but pjrj+1p_j^{r_j+1} does not divide f(n2)f(n_2). As f(n2)>f(n1)=p1r1pkrkf(n_2) > f(n_1) = p_1^{r_1} \cdots p_k^{r_k}, it follows that f(n2)f(n_2) must have at least k+1k+1 prime factors.

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