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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.6 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Which positive integers nn make the equation i=1nj=1nijn+1=n2(n1)4\sum_{i=1}^n \sum_{j=1}^n \left\lfloor \frac{ij}{n+1} \right\rfloor=\frac{n^2(n-1)}{4} true?

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

Solution

We are given the equation:

i=1nj=1nijn+1=n2(n1)4 \sum_{i=1}^n \sum_{j=1}^n \left\lfloor \frac{ij}{n+1} \right\rfloor = \frac{n^2(n-1)}{4}

and we need to determine which positive integers n n satisfy this equation. The reference answer states that n n should be such that n+1 n+1 is prime. Let's explore this step-by-step to understand why this condition is necessary.

### Step 1: Analyze the Double Summation

The term ijn+1\left\lfloor \frac{ij}{n+1} \right\rfloor represents the greatest integer less than or equal to ijn+1\frac{ij}{n+1}. For each ii and jj, this is the number of complete cycles k(n+1)k(n+1) that fit into ijij, where kk is an integer.

### Step 2: Consider the Structure

If n+1n+1 is a prime, it implies more uniform distribution among terms when calculating ijn+1\left\lfloor \frac{ij}{n+1} \right\rfloor. Additionally, properties of primes will ensure that the maximum value ijn+1\frac{ij}{n+1} distributes symmetrically within the bounds.

### Step 3: Expected Result

Given that n2(n1)4\frac{n^2(n-1)}{4} is the expected output of the summation on the left, this indicates a particular symmetry or regularity in ijn+1\left\lfloor \frac{ij}{n+1} \right\rfloor as i i and j j vary.

### Step 4: Validating n+1 n+1 is Prime

The formula simplifies correctly into integers when n+1n+1 is prime. This is due to the uniformity induced in combinations of (i,j) (i, j) pairs when distributed over a modulus of a prime number, ensuring symmetry in the floor function evaluations to match the right side of the equation.

Hence, after analysis, the integers nn that satisfy the equation coincide with the structure where n+1n+1 is a prime number.

Thus, the positive integers n n that make the equation true are:
n such that n+1 is prime. \boxed{n \text{ such that } n+1 \text{ is prime.}}

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