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Number theory Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Thailand

Show that k=0n(1)k(2n+12k+1)2008k\sum_{k=0}^{n} (-1)^k \binom{2n+1}{2k+1} 2008^k is not divisible by 1919 for every positive integer nn.

Solution

Observe that 2008652(mod19)-2008 \equiv 6 \equiv 5^2 \pmod{19}. Thus,
2k=0n(2n+12k+1)(2008)k2k=0n(2n+12k+1)52k(mod19)(1+5)2n+1(15)2n+1(mod19)62n+1+42n+122n+1(32n+1+22n+1)(mod19). \begin{aligned} 2 \sum_{k=0}^{n} \binom{2n+1}{2k+1} (-2008)^k &\equiv 2 \sum_{k=0}^{n} \binom{2n+1}{2k+1} 5^{2k} \pmod{19} \\ &\equiv (1+5)^{2n+1} - (1-5)^{2n+1} \pmod{19} \\ &\equiv 6^{2n+1} + 4^{2n+1} \\ &\equiv 2^{2n+1} (3^{2n+1} + 2^{2n+1}) \pmod{19}. \end{aligned}
Since
32n+1+22n+1(16)2n+1+22n+122n+1(126n+3)(mod19) 3^{2n+1} + 2^{2n+1} \equiv (-16)^{2n+1} + 2^{2n+1} \equiv 2^{2n+1} (1 - 2^{6n+3}) \pmod{19}
and 2181(mod19)2^{18} \equiv 1 \pmod{19}. We can see that
26(n+3)+326n+3(mod19) 2^{6(n+3)+3} \equiv 2^{6n+3} \pmod{19}
for each n=0,1,2,n = 0, 1, 2, \dots.
Therefore, it suffices to consider the divisibility of 32n+1+22n+13^{2n+1} + 2^{2n+1} by 1919 when n=0,1,2n = 0, 1, 2. We now verify that
31+215(mod19) 3^1 + 2^1 \equiv 5 \pmod{19}
33+233516(mod19) 3^3 + 2^3 \equiv 35 \equiv 16 \pmod{19}
35+252759(mod19). 3^5 + 2^5 \equiv 275 \equiv 9 \pmod{19}.
Hence, 19k=0n(2n+12k+1)(2008)k19 \nmid \sum_{k=0}^{n} \binom{2n+1}{2k+1} (-2008)^k.

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