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Problem 1930

National Olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Combinatorics Difficulty 7.1 Prove it Japan competition problems · Japan · 2022

Determine the number of ways to choose distinct 2525 integers from 11 to 5050 such that for any two integers chosen, one is not a divisor of the other.

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Official solution

For each odd integer nn from 11 to 4949, define the group of nn as the set of integers from 11 to 5050 which can be expressed as n2kn \cdot 2^k for a non-negative integer kk. Then each integer from 11 to 5050 belongs to only one group.
For any two integers in the same group, one is a divisor of the other. Therefore we can choose at most one integer from the same group when we choose 2525 integers satisfying the condition. The number of groups is 2525, hence we need to choose one integer from each group.
Firstly, there is only one way to choose from each group of 2727, 2929, 3131, 3333, 3535, 3737, 3939, 4141, 4343, 4545, 4747, 4949. Then 2727 is chosen, hence the integer chosen from the group of 99 is a multiple of 1818. Since 1818 is a multiple of 33 and 66, the integer chosen from the group of 33 is a multiple of 1212. Since 1212 is a multiple of 11, 22 and 44, the integer chosen from the group of 11 is a multiple of 88. Integers 3939 and 4545 are also chosen, thus we need to choose 2626 and 3030 from each group of 1313 and 1515. In the following, we consider how to choose integers from other groups.

Since 3333 is chosen, 1111 is not chosen. Integers 2222 and 4444 can not be a divisor of integers in other groups and they can not be a multiple of integers in other groups since 11, 22, and 44 are not chosen. Therefore the number of ways to choose one integer from the group of 1111 is 22, which is independent of the choice from other groups.
Integers 2525 and 5050 can not be a divisor of integers in other groups. Since 3030 is chosen, 11, 22, 55, and 1010 are not chosen, thus 2525 and 5050 can not be a multiple of integers in other groups. Therefore the number of ways to choose one integer from the group of 2525 is 22, which is independent of the choice from other groups.
Integers 1717 and 3434 can not be a divisor of integers in other groups and they can not be a multiple of integers in other groups since 11 and 22 are not chosen. Therefore the number of ways to choose one integer from the group of 1717 is 22, which is independent of the choice from other groups. This is the same for the group of 1919 and 2323.
The choice of one integer each from the group of 77 and 2121 must be (14,21)(14, 21), (28,21)(28, 21), or (28,42)(28, 42). Integers 1414, 2828, 2121, and 4242 can not be a divisor of integers in other groups and they can not be a multiple of integers in other groups since 11, 22, 33, 44, and 66 are not chosen. Therefore the number of ways to choose one integer each from the group of 77 and 2121 is 33, which is independent of the choice from other groups. We need to determine the way to choose from the group of 11, 33, 55, and 99.

From the group of 11 we need to choose a multiple of 88.
* If 88 is chosen, the choice from each group of 33, 55, and 99 must be 1212, 2020, and 1818, thus we have only one way.
* If 1616 is chosen, the choice from the group of 55 must be 2020 or 4040, and the choice from the group of 33 and 99 must be (12,18)(12, 18), (24,18)(24, 18), or (24,36)(24, 36).
* If 3232 is chosen, the choice from the group of 55 must be 2020 or 4040, and the choice from the group of 33 and 99 must be (12,18)(12, 18), (24,18)(24, 18), (24,36)(24, 36), (48,18)(48, 18), or (48,36)(48, 36).
Hence the number of ways to choose from the group of 11, 33, 55, and 99 is 1+23+25=171 + 2 \cdot 3 + 2 \cdot 5 = 17.

Therefore the answer is 25317=16322^5 \cdot 3 \cdot 17 = 1632.

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