Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 5 / 180 of 400 #780 of 1964

Problem 780

AIME late
Combinatorics Difficulty 5.4 Find the answer

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(k⩾2)k (k \geqslant 2), if kk is in this sequence, then k−1k-1 is also in this sequence, and the first occurrence of k−1k-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. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

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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={k∣ak=i},1⩽i⩽rS_{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 ⩽k⩽r\leqslant k \leqslant r, the "full" sequence also satisfies min⁡Sk−1b2>⋯>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 bk2bkt−1+2>⋯>bnb_{k_{2}}b_{k_{t-1}+2}>\cdots>b_{n}.
When j∈Si,1⩽i⩽tj \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 reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.