For a positive integer we denote by the sum of the digits of . Let be a polynomial, where and is a positive integer for all . Could it be the case that, for all positive integers , and have the same parity?
Solution
To determine if there exists a polynomial such that for all positive integers , the sum of the digits of , denoted as , and have the same parity, we proceed with a contradiction approach.
First, recall that the parity of a number refers to whether it is odd or even. The sum of the digits function, , follows the same parity rule as the number itself in terms of modulo 2 evaluations.
1. Consider any positive integer .
2. Calculate and consider its parity.
3. Compute and consider its parity as well.
For the claim to be true, it must hold that:
for all positive integers .
Now consider some specific case of :
- Take , where . Therefore, .
For large powers of 10, most terms primarily contribute to the leading digits in , minimally affecting the last digit parity unless modified by constants .
Additionally, examine :
- Then , and .
- The parity of depends entirely on the sum of coefficients plus one.
By the above calculations, inconsistency will appear:
- If terms contribute to making always match , the odd/even structure of constant and leads to conflicting parities when assessed modulus 2 for a wide range of .
### Conclusion
These contradictions suggest that no structure of allows all to maintain the required parity relationship between and . Thus,