Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 150 of 400 #1150 of 1964

Problem 1150

National Olympiad, first round
Combinatorics Difficulty 6.1 Prove it

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.

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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 reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.