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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.3 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Example 5 Let pp be a given positive integer, AA is a subset of X={1,2,3,4,,2p}X=\left\{1,2,3,4, \cdots, 2^{p}\right\}, and has the property: for any xAx \in A, 2xA2 x \notin A. Find the maximum value of A|A|. (1991 French Mathematical Olympiad)

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Analysis and Solution: Divide XX into blocks and use induction on pp.

When p=1p=1, X={1,2}X=\{1,2\}, take A={1}A=\{1\}, then f(1)=1f(1)=1;

When p=2p=2, X={1,2,3,4}X=\{1,2,3,4\}, divide XX into 3 subsets: {1,2}\{1,2\}, {3}\{3\}, {4}\{4\}. Then AA can contain at most one number from each subset, so A3|A| \leqslant 3. Take A={1,3,4}A=\{1,3,4\}, then f(2)=3f(2)=3;

When p=3p=3, X={1,2,,8}X=\{1,2, \cdots, 8\}. Divide XX into 5 subsets: {1,2}\{1,2\}, {3,6}\{3,6\}, {4,8}\{4,8\}, {5}\{5\}, {7}\{7\}. Then AA can contain at most one number from each subset, so A5|A| \leqslant 5. Take A={1,5,6,7,8}A=\{1,5,6,7,8\}, then f(3)=5f(3)=5.

In general, when Xp={1,2,3,,2p}X_{p}=\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{p}\right\}, we can estimate by dividing into blocks. Notice that 2p1+12^{p-1}+1, 2p1+2,,2p2^{p-1}+2, \cdots, 2^{p} can all belong to AA, so we think of dividing into blocks: X={1,2,3,,2p1}{2p1+X=\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{p-1}\right\} \cup\left\{2^{p-1}+\right. 1,2p1+2,,2ρ}=Xp1M\left.1,2^{p-1}+2, \cdots, 2^{\rho}\right\}=X_{p-1} \cup M, where Xp1={1,2,3,,2p1}X_{p-1}=\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{p-1}\right\}, M={2ρ1+M=\left\{2^{\rho-1}+\right. 1,2p1+2,,2p}\left.1,2^{p-1}+2, \cdots, 2^{p}\right\}. This way, the problem is how many numbers in Xp1={1,2,3,,2p1}X_{p-1}=\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{p-1}\right\} can belong to AA, is this the original problem for p1p-1? The problem is not that simple! Consider: when all numbers 2p1+1,2p1+2,,2p2^{p-1}+1,2^{p-1}+2, \cdots, 2^{p} in MM belong to AA, many numbers in Xp1X_{p-1} cannot belong to AA, for example: 2p2+1,2p2+2,,2p12^{p-2}+1,2^{p-2}+2, \cdots, 2^{p-1} do not belong to AA; but not necessarily 2p1+2,2p1+4,,2p2^{p-1}+2,2^{p-1}+4, \cdots, 2^{p} all belong to AA. Therefore, we need to make a finer division: some numbers 2p1+2,2p1+4,,2p2^{p-1}+2,2^{p-1}+4, \cdots, 2^{p} in MM and relevant numbers in Xp1X_{p-1} (with a 2-fold relationship) are paired to form sets: {2p1+2,2p2+1}\left\{2^{p-1}+2,2^{p-2}+1\right\}, {2p1+4,2p2+2}\left\{2^{p-1}+4, 2^{p-2}+2\right\}, \cdots, {2p,2p1}\left\{2^{p}, 2^{p-1}\right\}. This gives a partition of XpX_{p}:
Xp2={1,2,3,,2ρ2},Mt={2ρ1+2t,2ρ2+t}(t=1,2,,2ρ2),M0={2ρ1+1,2ρ1+3,2p1+5,,2p1+2ρ11}.\begin{aligned} X_{p-2} & =\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{\rho-2}\right\}, M_{t}=\left\{2^{\rho-1}+2 t, 2^{\rho-2}+t\right\}(t=1,2, \cdots, \\ \left.2^{\rho-2}\right), M_{0} & =\left\{2^{\rho-1}+1,2^{\rho-1}+3,2^{p-1}+5, \cdots, 2^{p-1}+2^{\rho-1}-1\right\} . \end{aligned}

Since AA can contain at most one element from Mt(t=1,2,,2p2)M_{t}\left(t=1,2, \cdots, 2^{p-2}\right), at most f(p2)f(p-2) elements from Xp2X_{p-2}, and at most 2p22^{p-2} elements from M0M_{0}, we have f(p)f(p2)+2p2+f(p) \leqslant f(p-2)+2^{p-2}+ 2p2=f(p2)+2p12^{p-2}=f(p-2)+2^{p-1}.

Next, consider whether we can construct a set AA to prove f(p)f(p2)+2p1f(p) \geqslant f(p-2)+2^{p-1}.
Let X={1,2,3,,2p2}X=\left\{1,2,3, \cdots, 2^{p-2}\right\} have a maximum subset A1A_{1} that meets the conditions, and let A2=A_{2}= {2p1+1,2p1+2,,2p}\left\{2^{p-1}+1,2^{p-1}+2, \cdots, 2^{p}\right\}. Then for any xA1x \in A_{1}, we have 2x22p2=2p1<2 x \leqslant 2 \cdot 2^{p-2}=2^{p-1}< 2p1+1A22^{p-1}+1 \notin A_{2}, so A=A1A2A=A_{1} \cup A_{2} is a subset that meets the conditions, hence f(p)A=f(p) \geqslant|A|= f(p2)+2p1f(p-2)+2^{p-1}.

In summary, f(p)=f(p2)+2p1f(p)=f(p-2)+2^{p-1}.
We solve this recurrence relation in two ways.
Method 1: Iteration (sum of pp equations), we get f(p1)+f(p)=f(1)+f(2)+f(p-1)+f(p)=f(1)+f(2)+ 22+23++2p1=1+(20+21)+22+23++2p1=2p2^{2}+2^{3}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=1+\left(2^{0}+2^{1}\right)+2^{2}+2^{3}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=2^{p}.

Iterate again (subtract the (p1)(p-1)-th equation from the (p2)(p-2)-th equation, add the (p3)(p-3)-th equation, etc.), we get
f(p)+(1)pf(1)=2p2p1++(1)p22,f(p)+(-1)^{p} f(1)=2^{p}-2^{p-1}+\cdots+(-1)^{p} \cdot 2^{2},

so f(p)=2p2p1++(1)p22+(1)p+1\quad f(p)=2^{p}-2^{p-1}+\cdots+(-1)^{p} \cdot 2^{2}+(-1)^{p+1},
Notice that (1)p+121+(1)p+220=(1)p+1(21)=(1)p+1(-1)^{p+1} \cdot 2^{1}+(-1)^{p+2} \cdot 2^{0}=(-1)^{p+1}(2-1)=(-1)^{p+1},
so f(p)=2p2p1++(1)p22+(1)p+121+(1)p+220f(p)=2^{p}-2^{p-1}+\cdots+(-1)^{p} \cdot 2^{2}+(-1)^{p+1} \cdot 2^{1}+(-1)^{p+2} \cdot 2^{0}
=2p[1(12)p+1]1+12=2p+1+(1)p3=\frac{2^{p}\left[1-\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{p+1}\right]}{1+\frac{1}{2}}=\frac{2^{p+1}+(-1)^{p}}{3}

Method 2: Categorize and solve.
When pp is odd, f(p)=f(p2)+2p1=f(p4)+2p3+2p1=f(p)=f(p-2)+2^{p-1}=f(p-4)+2^{p-3}+2^{p-1}= f(1)+22+24++2p1=20+22+24++2p1=2p+113f(1)+2^{2}+2^{4}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=2^{0}+2^{2}+2^{4}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=\frac{2^{p+1}-1}{3};

When pp is even, f(p)=f(p2)+2p1=f(p4)+2p3+2p1=f(p)=f(p-2)+2^{p-1}=f(p-4)+2^{p-3}+2^{p-1}= f(2)+23+25++2p1=1+21+23+25++2p1=2p+1+13f(2)+2^{3}+2^{5}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=1+2^{1}+2^{3}+2^{5}+\cdots+2^{p-1}=\frac{2^{p+1}+1}{3}.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.