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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it Thailand

Consider the sequence {an}n1\{a_n\}_{n \ge 1} of positive integers with anan+3=an+2an+5a_n a_{n+3} = a_{n+2} a_{n+5} for all positive integer nn. Determine the largest integer that always divides k=12550a2ka2k1\sum_{k=1}^{2550} a_{2k} a_{2k-1}.

Solution

From anan+3=an+2an+5a_n a_{n+3} = a_{n+2} a_{n+5} for every positive integer nn, we have
an+1an+4=an+3an+6a_{n+1} a_{n+4} = a_{n+3} a_{n+6} and an+2an+5=an+4an+7a_{n+2} a_{n+5} = a_{n+4} a_{n+7}. Then
anan+3an+1an+4an+2an+5=an+2an+5an+3an+6an+4an+7. a_n a_{n+3} \cdot a_{n+1} a_{n+4} \cdot a_{n+2} a_{n+5} = a_{n+2} a_{n+5} \cdot a_{n+3} a_{n+6} \cdot a_{n+4} a_{n+7}.
Therefore, anan+1=an+6an+7a_n a_{n+1} = a_{n+6} a_{n+7} for every positive integer nn. Thus,
k=12550a2ka2k1=25503(a1a2+a3a4+a5a6)=850(a1a2+a3a4+a5a6) \sum_{k=1}^{2550} a_{2k} a_{2k-1} = \frac{2550}{3} (a_1 a_2 + a_3 a_4 + a_5 a_6) = 850 (a_1 a_2 + a_3 a_4 + a_5 a_6)
We will show that 850 is the largest positive integer that always divides k=12550a2ka2k1\sum_{k=1}^{2550} a_{2k} a_{2k-1}. Consider the sequence {an}n1\{a_n\}_{n \ge 1} defined by
an={1if n1,2,3(mod6),2if n4,5,6(mod6). a_n = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{if } n \equiv 1, 2, 3 \pmod 6, \\ 2 & \text{if } n \equiv 4, 5, 6 \pmod 6. \end{cases}
It can be seen that anan+3=2=an+2an+5a_n a_{n+3} = 2 = a_{n+2} a_{n+5} for every positive integer nn; so, it satisfied the condition in the problem and
k=12550a2ka2k1=850(11+12+22)=8507. \sum_{k=1}^{2550} a_{2k} a_{2k-1} = 850(1 \cdot 1 + 1 \cdot 2 + 2 \cdot 2) = 850 \cdot 7.
Consider another sequence {an}n1\{a_n\}_{n \ge 1} defined by an=1a_n = 1 for every positive integer nn. We can see that anan+3=1=an+2an+5a_n a_{n+3} = 1 = a_{n+2} a_{n+5} for every positive integer nn, and
k=12550a2ka2k1=850(11+11+11)=8503. \sum_{k=1}^{2550} a_{2k} a_{2k-1} = 850(1 \cdot 1 + 1 \cdot 1 + 1 \cdot 1) = 850 \cdot 3.
Thus, 850 is the desired largest integer.

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