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Algebra Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Find the answer

Let f(x)=x22f(x)=x^{2}-2, and let fnf^{n} denote the function ff applied nn times. Compute the remainder when f24(18)f^{24}(18) is divided by 89.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Let LnL_{n} denote the Lucas numbers given by L0=2,L1=1L_{0}=2, L_{1}=1, and Ln+2=Ln+1+LnL_{n+2}=L_{n+1}+L_{n}. Note that Ln22=L2nL_{n}^{2}-2=L_{2 n} when nn is even (one can show this by induction, or explicitly using Ln=L_{n}= (1+52)n+(152)n)\left.\left(\frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}\right)^{n}+\left(\frac{1-\sqrt{5}}{2}\right)^{n}\right).So, f24(L6)=L3225f^{24}\left(L_{6}\right)=L_{3 \cdot 2^{25}}. Now note that since 894(mod5)89 \equiv 4(\bmod 5), we have 5p121(mod89)5^{\frac{p-1}{2}} \equiv 1(\bmod 89) so L89=(1+52)p+(152)pL1L_{89}=\left(\frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}\right)^{p}+\left(\frac{1-\sqrt{5}}{2}\right)^{p} \equiv L_{1} (mod89)(\bmod 89) and similarly L90L2L_{90} \equiv L_{2}, so the sequence Ln(mod89)L_{n}(\bmod 89) is periodic with period 88. (Alternatively, reason by analog of Fermat's little theorem, since we can substitute an integer residue for 5\sqrt{5}.) We have 32253258(mod11)3 \cdot 2^{25} \equiv 3 \cdot 2^{5} \equiv 8(\bmod 11) and 0(mod8)\equiv 0(\bmod 8), so L3225L8(mod89)L_{3 \cdot 2^{25}} \equiv L_{8}(\bmod 89). Computing L8=47L_{8}=47 gives the answer.

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