Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 388 of 400 #1868 of 2444

Problem 1868

National Olympiad, first round
Number theory Difficulty 7.0 Prove it Croatia Mathematical Competitions · Croatia

A grasshopper is sitting in the origin of the number line, at number 00, and then it jumps, always in the same direction. For a positive integer kk, in the first jump the grasshopper jumps to number 11, and every following jump is exactly kk times longer than the previous jump. There is a hole in place of all multiples of number 20152015.
Determine all positive integers kk such that the grasshopper can jump 20152015 times without falling into a hole. (Ilko Brnetić)

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

Next problem →

Official solution

a1=1,an=1+k++kn1,n2. a_1 = 1, \quad a_n = 1 + k + \dots + k^{n-1}, \quad n \ge 2.
We are looking for all numbers kk such that 2015an2015 \nmid a_n for all n=1,,2015n = 1, \dots, 2015.
Suppose that M(k,2015)=d>1M(k, 2015) = d > 1. Then every ana_n divided by dd gives the remainder 11, and since 20152015 is divisible by dd we have that 2015an2015 \nmid a_n for all nn. Therefore, all positive integers which are not relatively prime to 20152015 comply with the terms of the problem.
If M(k,2015)=1M(k, 2015) = 1, we observe the remainders of dividing a1,,a2015a_1, \dots, a_{2015} by 20152015. If one of them is divisible by 20152015, such a kk is not good. Otherwise, since there are 20142014 possible remainders, at least two numbers give the same remainder. Let these numbers be ala_l and ama_m, m>lm > l. In this case, their difference is divisible by 20152015. On the other hand, we have that
amal=kl++km1=kl(1++kml1)=klaml. a_m - a_l = k^l + \dots + k^{m-1} = k^l (1 + \dots + k^{m-l-1}) = k^l \cdot a_{m-l}.
From 2015klaml2015 \mid k^l \cdot a_{m-l} and M(k,2015)=1M(k, 2015) = 1, it follows that 2015aml2015 \mid a_{m-l}, which is in contradiction with the assumption that none of the numbers a1,,a2015a_1, \dots, a_{2015} is divisible by 20152015. Therefore, if M(k,2015)=1M(k, 2015) = 1, the grasshopper will jump into a hole.
To conclude, the only numbers which are suitable for the terms of the problem are those which are not relatively prime to 20152015.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.