Find all positive integers for which there exist real numbers , such that for all . (Slovakia) Answer: can be any multiple of 3.
Solution
For the sake of convenience, extend the sequence to an infinite periodic sequence with period . ( is not necessarily the shortest period.) If is divisible by 3, then is an obvious solution. We will show that in every periodic sequence satisfying the recurrence, each positive term is followed by two negative values, and after them the next number is positive again. From this, it follows that is divisible by 3. If the sequence contains two consecutive positive numbers , then , so the next value is positive as well; by induction, all numbers are positive and greater than 1. But then for every index , which is impossible: our sequence is periodic, so it cannot increase everywhere. If the number 0 occurs in the sequence, for some index , then it follows that and are two consecutive positive elements in the sequences and we get the same contradiction again. Notice that after any two consecutive negative numbers the next one must be positive: if . Hence, the positive and negative numbers follow each other in such a way that each positive term is followed by one or two negative values and then comes the next positive term. Consider the case when the positive and negative values alternate. So, if is a negative value then is positive, is negative and is positive again. Notice that we conclude . The number must be negative. We show that also must be negative. Notice that is negative and a_{i+5}>a_{i+4}a_{i+4}a_{i+5}a_{i+4}a_{i+3}a_{i+4}a_{i+5}$ is positive; so after two negative and a positive terms, the next three terms repeat the same pattern. That completes the solution.