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, 2021

Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let a1,a2,a3,…a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots be a sequence of positive integers such that a1=2021a_1 = 2021 and
an+1−an=⌊an⌋. \sqrt{a_{n+1} - a_n} = \lfloor \sqrt{a_n} \rfloor.
Show that there are infinitely many odd numbers and infinitely many even numbers in this sequence.

Solution

Suppose there are not infinitely many odd numbers or not infinitely many even numbers, then there exists an NN such that the sequence aN,aN+1,aN+2,…a_N, a_{N+1}, a_{N+2}, \dots all have the same parity. So when n≥Nn \ge N,
bn:=⌊an⌋=an+1−an b_n := \lfloor \sqrt{a_n} \rfloor = \sqrt{a_{n+1} - a_n}
is even. Let kn=an−bn2k_n = a_n - b_n^2, then 0≤kn≤2bn0 \le k_n \le 2b_n. We have
an+1=an+bn2=2bn2+kn  ⟹  bn+1≤2bn2+kn<bn+1+1, a_{n+1} = a_n + b_n^2 = 2b_n^2 + k_n \implies b_{n+1} \le \sqrt{2b_n^2 + k_n} < b_{n+1} + 1,
therefore from an+2=2bn+12+kn+1=2bn2+kn+bn+12a_{n+2} = 2b_{n+1}^2 + k_{n+1} = 2b_n^2 + k_n + b_{n+1}^2,
an+2≤4bn2+2kn≤4bn2+4bn<(2bn+1)2 a_{n+2} \le 4b_n^2 + 2k_n \le 4b_n^2 + 4b_n < (2b_n + 1)^2
an+2>2bn2+kn+(2bn2+kn−1)2=4bn2+2kn+1−22bn2+kn. a_{n+2} > 2b_n^2 + k_n + (\sqrt{2b_n^2 + k_n} - 1)^2 = 4b_n^2 + 2k_n + 1 - 2\sqrt{2b_n^2 + k_n}.
Note that
4bn2+2kn+1−22bn2+kn≥(2bn−1)2  ⟺  2bn+kn≥2bn2+kn, 4b_n^2 + 2k_n + 1 - 2\sqrt{2b_n^2 + k_n} \ge (2b_n - 1)^2 \iff 2b_n + k_n \ge \sqrt{2b_n^2 + k_n},
and the latter is clearly true, so we have bn+2=⌊an+2⌋=2bn−1b_{n+2} = \lfloor a_{n+2} \rfloor = 2b_n - 1 or 2bn2b_n. Since bn+2b_{n+2} is even when n+2≥Nn + 2 \ge N, we have bn+2=2bnb_{n+2} = 2b_n. Thus we have bN+2s=2sbN,bN+2s+1=2sbN+1b_{N+2s} = 2^s b_N, b_{N+2s+1} = 2^s b_{N+1}.
bN+2s2=aN+2s+1−aN+2s=bN+2s+12−bN+2s2+kN+2s+1−kN+2s, b_{N+2s}^2 = a_{N+2s+1} - a_{N+2s} = b_{N+2s+1}^2 - b_{N+2s}^2 + k_{N+2s+1} - k_{N+2s},
we have
kN+2s+1−kN+2s=2bN+2s2−bN+2s+12=22s(2bN2−bN+12), k_{N+2s+1} - k_{N+2s} = 2b_{N+2s}^2 - b_{N+2s+1}^2 = 2^{2s}(2b_N^2 - b_{N+1}^2),
from 0≤kn≤2bn0 \le k_n \le 2b_n, we have
22s∣2bN2−bN+12∣≤2bN+2s+1+2bN+2s=2s+1(bN+1+bN). 2^{2s}|2b_N^2 - b_{N+1}^2| \le 2b_{N+2s+1} + 2b_{N+2s} = 2^{s+1}(b_{N+1} + b_N).
Note that 22 is not a perfect square, so 2bN2−bN+12≠02b_N^2 - b_{N+1}^2 \ne 0, hence taking ss sufficiently large yields a contradiction.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.