Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /488 of 520

Number theory Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it

4. Positive real numbers α,β,γ,δ\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta, for any nN+n \in \mathbf{N}_{+}, satisfy
[αn][βn]=[γn][δn], [\alpha n][\beta n]=[\gamma n][\delta n],

and {α,β}{γ,δ}\{\alpha, \beta\} \neq\{\gamma, \delta\}. Prove: αβ=γδ\alpha \beta=\gamma \delta, and α,β,γ,δ\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta are positive integers.

Solution

4. Notice that, αn1γδ>β\alpha n-1\gamma \geqslant \delta>\beta.
Thus, there exists a positive integer NN satisfying
(1) (αγ)N>1(\alpha-\gamma) N>1;
(2) (δβ)N>1(\delta-\beta) N>1;
(3) βN>1\beta N>1.

For any m>Nm>N, the above three conditions hold. At this point,
[αm][γm]1,[δm][βm]1[\alpha m]-[\gamma m] \geqslant 1, [\delta m]-[\beta m] \geqslant 1,
[βm]1[\beta m] \geqslant 1.
First, we prove a lemma.
Lemma When m>Nm>N, under the above conditions, αm\alpha m,
βm\beta m, γm\gamma m, δm\delta m are all positive integers.
Proof Fix m>Nm>N. Let [αm]=A,{αm}=a[\alpha m]=A, \{\alpha m\}=a, and the binary representation of aa is a=(0.a1a2)2a=(0.a_1 a_2 \cdots)_2;
Similarly, we can define [βm]=B,{βm}=b[\beta m]=B, \{\beta m\}=b,
bb's binary representation is b=(0.b1b2)2b=(0.b_1 b_2 \cdots)_2;
[γm]=C,{γm}=c[\gamma m]=C, \{\gamma m\}=c,
cc's binary representation is c=(0.c1c2)2c=(0.c_1 c_2 \cdots)_2;
[δm]=D,{δm}=d[\delta m]=D, \{\delta m\}=d,
dd's binary representation is d=(0.d1d2)2d=(0.d_1 d_2 \cdots)_2.
According to the problem's conditions,
[αm][βm]=[γm][δm][\alpha m][\beta m]=[\gamma m][\delta m].
Then AB=CDA B=C D, and A>CD>B1A>C \geqslant D>B \geqslant 1.
Take n=2mn=2 m, then
[2αm]=2A+a1,[2βm]=2B+b1,[2γm]=2C+c1,[2δm]=2D+d1 By [2αm][2βm]=[2γm][2δm], we have (2A+a1)(2B+b1)=(2C+c1)(2D+d1)2Ab1+2Ba1+a1b1=2Cd1+2Dc1+c1d1 \begin{array}{l} {[2 \alpha m]=2 A+a_{1}, [2 \beta m]=2 B+b_{1},} \\ {[2 \gamma m]=2 C+c_{1}, [2 \delta m]=2 D+d_{1} \text {. }} \\ \text { By } [2 \alpha m][2 \beta m]=[2 \gamma m][2 \delta m], \text { we have } \\ \left(2 A+a_{1}\right)\left(2 B+b_{1}\right)=\left(2 C+c_{1}\right)\left(2 D+d_{1}\right) \\ \Rightarrow 2 A b_{1}+2 B a_{1}+a_{1} b_{1} \\ \quad=2 C d_{1}+2 D c_{1}+c_{1} d_{1} \text {. } \end{array}
(1) When a1=1,b1=1a_{1}=1, b_{1}=1, the left side of equation (2) is odd, so the right side is odd. Therefore, c1=1,d1=1c_{1}=1, d_{1}=1. From equation (2), we get A+B=C+DA+B=C+D, and combining AB=CDA B=C D, we have {A,B}={C,D}\{A, B\}=\{C, D\}, which contradicts A>CD>B1A>C \geqslant D>B \geqslant 1.
(2) When a1=1,b1=0a_{1}=1, b_{1}=0, the left side of equation (2) is even, so the right side is even. Therefore, c1d1=0c_{1} d_{1}=0. Equation (2) becomes B=d1C+c1D{0,C,D}B=d_{1} C+c_{1} D \in\{0, C, D\}. Contradiction.
(3) When a1=0,b1=1a_{1}=0, b_{1}=1, the left side of equation (2) is even, so the right side is even. Therefore, c1d1=0c_{1} d_{1}=0. Equation (2) becomes A=d1C+c1D{0,C,D}A=d_{1} C+c_{1} D \in\{0, C, D\}. Contradiction.
(4) When a1=0,b1=0a_{1}=0, b_{1}=0, from equation (2) we get
c1=d1=0c_{1}=d_{1}=0.
Thus, a1=b1=c1=d1=0a_{1}=b_{1}=c_{1}=d_{1}=0.
Take n=4mn=4 m, then
[4αm]=4A+a2,[4βm]=4B+b2[4 \alpha m]=4 A+a_{2}, [4 \beta m]=4 B+b_{2},
[4γm]=4C+c2,[4δm]=4D+d2[4 \gamma m]=4 C+c_{2}, [4 \delta m]=4 D+d_{2}.
By [4αm][4βm]=[4γm][4δm][4 \alpha m][4 \beta m]=[4 \gamma m][4 \delta m], we have
(4A+a2)(4B+b2)=(4C+c2)(4D+d2)\left(4 A+a_{2}\right)\left(4 B+b_{2}\right)=\left(4 C+c_{2}\right)\left(4 D+d_{2}\right)
4Ab2+4Ba2+a2b2=4Cd2+4Dc2+c2d2\Rightarrow 4 A b_{2}+4 B a_{2}+a_{2} b_{2}=4 C d_{2}+4 D c_{2}+c_{2} d_{2}.
Similar to the previous discussion, we know
a2=b2=c2=d2=0a_{2}=b_{2}=c_{2}=d_{2}=0.
Using mathematical induction, we can prove that for any
kN+,ak=bk=ck=dk=0k \in \mathbf{N}_{+}, a_{k}=b_{k}=c_{k}=d_{k}=0.
Therefore, a=b=c=d=0a=b=c=d=0, and αm,βm,γm,δm\alpha m, \beta m, \gamma m, \delta m are all positive integers.
The lemma is proved.
According to the lemma, (m+1)α,(m+1)β,(m+1)γ(m+1) \alpha, (m+1) \beta, (m+1) \gamma, (m+1)δ(m+1) \delta are all positive integers.
Therefore, α,β,γ,δ\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta are all positive integers.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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