Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 5 / 166 of 400 #766 of 1964

Problem 766

AIME late
Combinatorics Difficulty 5.4 Find the answer

3. Let nn be a positive integer. If a sequence of nn positive integers (which can be the same) is called "full", then this sequence should satisfy the condition: for each positive integer k(k2)k (k \geqslant 2), if kk is in this sequence, then k1k-1 is also in this sequence, and the first occurrence of k1k-1 is before the last occurrence of kk. How many "full" sequences are there for each nn?
(Colombia provided)

A number or a short expression. Spacing, $ signs and \frac vs / are all fine.

Official solution

Solution: There are nn! "full" sequences.
To prove this conclusion, we construct a "full" sequence that is in bijection with the permutations of the set {1,2,,n}\{1,2, \cdots, n\}.

Let a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \cdots, a_{n} be a "full" sequence, r=r= max{a1,a2,,an}\max \left\{a_{1}, a_{2}, \cdots, a_{n}\right\}. Then, all integers from 1 to rr appear in this sequence. Let Si={kak=i},1irS_{i}=\left\{k \mid a_{k}=i\right\}, 1 \leqslant i \leqslant r, then all StS_{\mathrm{t}} are non-empty, and they form a partition of the set {1,2,,n}\{1,2, \cdots, n\}. For 2 kr\leqslant k \leqslant r, the "full" sequence also satisfies minSk1b2>>bk1\min S_{k-1}b_{2}>\cdots>b_{k_{1}}, and bk1bk1+2>>bk2b_{k_{1}}b_{k_{1}+2}>\cdots>b_{k_{2}}, and bk2bkt1+2>>bnb_{k_{2}}b_{k_{t-1}+2}>\cdots>b_{n}.
When jSi,1itj \in S_{i}, 1 \leqslant i \leqslant t, let aj=ia_{j}=i, then the sequence a1,a2a_{1}, a_{2}, ,an\cdots, a_{n} is a "full" sequence.

In summary, the set of "full" sequences is in bijection with the set of permutations of {1,2,,n}\{1,2, \cdots, n\}.

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