Given an integer , determine all functions from the positive integers into themselves such that is divisibe by for all positive integers .
Solution
Consider the function from the positive integers into themselves. We need to determine all such functions such that for every collection of positive integers , the expression
is divisible by
Given that , let's analyze the problem by initially testing simple cases and then move towards a general solution.
### Step 1: Substituting
Consider the case where . The condition reduces to:
This can be simplified to:
The most straightforward solution would be the case , resulting in . This satisfies the divisibility condition since holds trivially for any .
### Step 2: Generalization and Testing
Now, consider the general function where . We need to show whether is uniquely valid or if other functions also satisfy the condition:
Assume for some . Consider and .
For divisibility, we should have:
By the properties of factorials, if , then does not divide , causing issues in divisibility unless . Similarly, if , exceeds any term of the form , contradicting divisibility.
### Conclusion
Therefore, the function ensures is divisible by for all choices of .
Thus, the only solution is: