Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 110 of 400 #1110 of 1964

Problem 1110

National olympiad, first round
Combinatorics Difficulty 6.1 Prove it

3. Let ana_{n} be the number of natural numbers NN such that the sum of the digits of NN is nn and each digit can only be 1, 3, or 4. Prove that a2na_{2 n} is a perfect square, where n=1,2,n=1,2, \cdots.

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.

Official solution

Considering the last digit, if it is 1, then the number of corresponding natural numbers NN is an1a_{n-1}; if it is 3, then the number of corresponding natural numbers NN is an3a_{n-3}; if it is 4, then the number of corresponding natural numbers NN is an4a_{n-4}, thus an=an4+an3+an1a_{n}=a_{n-4}+a_{n-3}+a_{n-1}, and a1=1,a2=1,a3=2,a4=4a_{1}=1, a_{2}=1, a_{3}=2, a_{4}=4.
Calculations yield a2=1=12,a4=4=22,a6=9=32,a8=25=52,a10=64=82,a12=a_{2}=1=1^{2}, a_{4}=4=2^{2}, a_{6}=9=3^{2}, a_{8}=25=5^{2}, a_{10}=64=8^{2}, a_{12}= 169=132,a14=441=212;a1=1,a3=2=1×2,a5=6=2×3,a7=15=169=13^{2}, a_{14}=441=21^{2} ; a_{1}=1, a_{3}=2=1 \times 2, a_{5}=6=2 \times 3, a_{7}=15= 3×5,a9=40=5×8,a11=104=8×13,a13=273=13×213 \times 5, a_{9}=40=5 \times 8, a_{11}=104=8 \times 13, a_{13}=273=13 \times 21,
Let the sequence fnf_{n} satisfy f0=f1=1,fn=fn2+fn1f_{0}=f_{1}=1, f_{n}=f_{n-2}+f_{n-1}, then f2=2,f3=3,f4=5,f5=8f_{2}=2, f_{3}=3, f_{4}=5, f_{5}=8, f6=13,f7=21f_{6}=13, f_{7}=21. Conjecture a2n1=fn1fn,a2n=fn2a_{2 n-1}=f_{n-1} f_{n}, a_{2 n}=f_{n}^{2}.

When n=1,2n=1,2, the conclusion holds; assuming for n=k1,kn=k-1, k, the conclusion holds, i.e., a2k3=fk2fk1,a2k2=fk12,a2k1=fk1fk,a2k=fk2a_{2 k-3}=f_{k-2} f_{k-1}, a_{2 k-2}=f_{k-1}^{2}, a_{2 k-1}=f_{k-1} f_{k}, a_{2 k}=f_{k}^{2},
then a2k+1=a2k3+a2k2+a2k=fk2fk1+fk12+fk2=fk1(fk2+fk1)+fk2a_{2 k+1}=a_{2 k-3}+a_{2 k-2}+a_{2 k}=f_{k-2} f_{k-1}+f_{k-1}^{2}+f_{k}^{2}=f_{k-1}\left(f_{k-2}+f_{k-1}\right)+f_{k}^{2} =fk1fk+fk2=fk(fk1+fk)=fkfk+1;=f_{k-1} f_{k}+f_{k}^{2}=f_{k}\left(f_{k-1}+f_{k}\right)=f_{k} f_{k+1} ;
a2k+2=a2k2+a2k1+a2k+1=fk12+fk1fk+fkfk+1=fk1(fk1+fk)+fkfk+1a_{2 k+2}=a_{2 k-2}+a_{2 k-1}+a_{2 k+1}=f_{k-1}^{2}+f_{k-1} f_{k}+f_{k} f_{k+1}=f_{k-1}\left(f_{k-1}+f_{k}\right)+f_{k} f_{k+1} =fk1fk+1+fkfk+1=fk+1(fk1+fk)=fk+12=f_{k-1} f_{k+1}+f_{k} f_{k+1}=f_{k+1}\left(f_{k-1}+f_{k}\right)=f_{k+1}^{2}, thus when n=k+1n=k+1 the conclusion also holds. By the principle of mathematical induction, for all natural numbers nn, a2n1=fn1fn,a2n=fn2a_{2 n-1}=f_{n-1} f_{n}, a_{2 n}=f_{n}^{2}. Therefore, a2na_{2 n} is a perfect square.

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