Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 7 / 271 of 300 #1671 of 2000

Problem 1671

National olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Combinatorics Difficulty 7.8 Prove it

In the real axis, there is bug standing at coordinate x=1x=1. Each step, from the position x=ax=a, the bug can jump to either x=a+2x=a+2 or x=a2x=\frac{a}{2}. Show that there are precisely Fn+4(n+4)F_{n+4}-(n+4) positions (including the initial position) that the bug can jump to by at most nn steps.

Recall that FnF_n is the nthn^{th} element of the Fibonacci sequence, defined by F0=F1=1F_0=F_1=1, Fn+1=Fn+Fn1F_{n+1}=F_n+F_{n-1} for all n1n\geq 1.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

1. Transforming the Problem:
We start by noting that the bug can move from position x=a x = a to either x=a+2 x = a + 2 or x=a2 x = \frac{a}{2} . We need to determine the number of distinct positions the bug can reach in at most n n steps starting from x=1 x = 1 .

2. Characterizing Reachable Positions:
We observe that the bug's position after any number of steps can be written in the form p2q \frac{p}{2^q} , where p p is an odd integer and q0 q \geq 0 . This is because starting from x=1 x = 1 , which is 120 \frac{1}{2^0} , each step either adds 2 (which keeps the numerator odd) or divides by 2 (which increases the power of 2 in the denominator).

3. **Defining the Function f(n,m) f(n, m) **:
We define f(n,m) f(n, m) as the minimum number of steps required to reach 2n+12m \frac{2n+1}{2^m} from 1. We can derive the following:
- f(n,0)=n f(n, 0) = n because to reach 2n+1 2n+1 from 1, we need n n steps of adding 2.
- For n2m n \geq 2^m , f(n,m)=f(n2m,m)+1 f(n, m) = f(n - 2^m, m) + 1 because we can reach 2n+12m \frac{2n+1}{2^m} by first reaching 2(n2m)+12m \frac{2(n-2^m)+1}{2^m} and then adding 2.
- For n<2m n < 2^m , f(n,m)=f(n,m1)+1 f(n, m) = f(n, m-1) + 1 because we can reach 2n+12m \frac{2n+1}{2^m} by first reaching 2n+12m1 \frac{2n+1}{2^{m-1}} and then dividing by 2.

4. Vengeful Pairs:
We call a pair (n,m) (n, m) vengeful if n2m+11 n \leq 2^{m+1} - 1 . We claim that for all xX x \in \mathbb{X} , the number of vengeful pairs (n,m) (n, m) such that f(n,m)=x f(n, m) = x is Fx+1 F_{x+1} . This can be shown by induction on m m .

5. Inductive Proof:
We prove by induction that the number of pairs (n,m) (n, m) such that f(n,m)=x f(n, m) = x is Fx+21 F_{x+2} - 1 :
- Base case: For x=0 x = 0 , f(0,0)=0 f(0,0) = 0 and no other pairs satisfy f(n,m)=0 f(n, m) = 0 , so the count is 1.
- Inductive step: Assume the statement holds for x=k x = k . For x=k+1 x = k+1 , let Sx S_x and Sx+1 S_{x+1} be the sets of pairs such that f(n,m)=x f(n, m) = x and f(n,m)=x+1 f(n, m) = x+1 , respectively. We construct a function g g from Sx+1 S_{x+1} to Sx S_x and show that Sx+1=Sx+v(x) |S_{x+1}| = |S_x| + v(x) , where v(x) v(x) is the number of vengeful pairs with f(n,m)=x f(n, m) = x . By induction, Sx+1=Fx+21+Fx+1=Fx+31 |S_{x+1}| = F_{x+2} - 1 + F_{x+1} = F_{x+3} - 1 .

6. Conclusion:
By the lemma, the number of pairs (n,m) (n, m) such that f(n,m)x f(n, m) \leq x is F21+F31++Fx+21=Fx+4(x+4) F_2 - 1 + F_3 - 1 + \cdots + F_{x+2} - 1 = F_{x+4} - (x+4) .

The final answer is Fn+4(n+4) \boxed{ F_{n+4} - (n+4) }

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.