Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 36 of 400 #1036 of 1964

Problem 1036

National Olympiad, first round
Number theory Difficulty 6.0 Find the answer

Determine the maximum integer nn with the property that for each positive integer kn2k \leq \frac{n}{2} there exist two positive divisors of nn with difference kk.

Determine the maximum integer nn with the property that for each positive integer kn2k \leq \frac{n}{2} there exist two positive divisors of nn with difference kk.

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

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Official solution

If there exists a positive integer pn/6p \leq\lfloor n / 6\rfloor such that pnp \nmid n, then we have n/2>n/6\lfloor n / 2\rfloor>\lfloor n / 6\rfloor, and taking k=n/2p2k=\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p \geq 2 and two positive divisors d,d+kd, d+k of nn, we need d+(n/2p)d+(\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p) to divide nn. But d+(n/2p)d+n/2n/6>d+(n/21)n/6n/3d+(\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p) \geq d+\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-\lfloor n / 6\rfloor>d+(n / 2-1)-n / 6 \geq n / 3, so d+(n/2p){n/2,n}d+(\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p) \in\{n / 2, n\}, the only possible divisors of nn larger than n/3n / 3. However, d+(n/2p)=n/2d+(\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p)=n / 2 yields d=pd=p, absurd (since dnd \mid n but pnp \nmid n), while d+(n/2p)=nd+(\lfloor n / 2\rfloor-p)=n yields d>n/2d>n / 2, thus d=nd=n (since dnd \mid n), forcing p=n/2>n/6p=\lfloor n / 2\rfloor>\lfloor n / 6\rfloor, again absurd. Therefore all positive integers not larger than n/6\lfloor n / 6\rfloor must divide nn.

Denote u=n/6u=\lfloor n / 6\rfloor. Since gcd(u,u1)=1\operatorname{gcd}(u, u-1)=1, it follows u(u1)nu(u-1) \mid n, so u(u1)n=6(n/6)1u(u-1) \leq n=6(n / 6)1 cannot be odd (which is trivial), and by the fact that the only kk defect for n=36n=36 is k=13k=13, the idea for the solution given above. Anyway, a fresh idea, and which is implemented elegantly and with minimal calculations.

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.