New Zealand

Maths Olympiad Committee

Squad Training 2006
Number Theory and Algebra
(Due: 7/4/2006)

1. Suppose that n is a positive integer. Prove that there is a positive integer k for which:
√ n √ √
2 − 1 = k − k − 1.

Many direct solutions are possible. Here’s a subtle one. Let

" √
n √
n #2
2+1 + 2−1
u= .
2

It’s easy to see that u is an integer using the binomial expansion. Also by direct computation:
" √
n √
n #2
2+1 − 2−1
u−1= .
2
√
n √ √
And so 2−1 = u− u − 1.
2. Let p be an odd prime and let 0 ≤ i ≤ p − 2. Show that
 
p−2
+ (−1)i+1 (i + 1) ∼
=0 (mod p).
i

p−2
. We know that for all i, pi is a multiple of p. However:



Let ai = i
           
p p−1 p−1 p−2 p−2 p−2
= + = +2 + .
i i i−1 i i−1 i−2

. So ai + 2ai−1 + ai−2 ∼
=0 (mod p) for all i. An easy induction now gives the required result.
3. Let x1 , x2 , . . . , xn be positive real numbers. Let xn+1 = x1 . Prove that:
n n
X x2i 1X
≥ xi .
i=1
xi + xi+1 2 i=1

Note that:
x2i xi xi+1 xi + xi+1
= xi − ≥ xi −
xi + xi+1 xi + xi+1 4
 the last by AM-GM. Therefore,
n n n
X x2i X X xi xi+1
= xi −
i=1
xi + xi+1 i=1
x
i=1 i
+ xi+1
n
X xi + xi+1
≥ xi −
i=1
4
n
1X
= xi .
2 i=1

4. Let x1 , x2 , x3 , and x4 be positive real numbers whose product is one. Prove that:
4
( 4 4
)
X X X 1
x3i ≥ max xi , .
i=1 i=1
x
i=1 i

P4
Let A = i=1 x3i and ai = A − x3i . By AM-GM:
q
a1 /3 ≥ 3 x32 x33 x34 = 1/x1 .
P4
and similarly for the other ai . But A = (1/3)(a1 + a2 + a3 + a4 ) so A ≥ i=1 1/xi .
Also,
P4 !3 P4
A i=1 xi i=1 xi
≥ ≥
4 4 4
P4
since i=1 xi /4 ≥ 1 by AM-GM.
5. Let x, y, z, > 1 and 1/x + 1/y + 1/z = 2. Prove that:
√ √ p √
x + y + z ≥ x − 1 + y − 1 + z − 1.

Note that (x − 1)/x + (y − 1)/y + (z − 1)/z = 1. By Cauchy-Schwarz:

√ √ √ p √
x+y+z = x + y + zsqrt(x − 1)/x + (y − 1)/y + (z − 1)/z ≥ x−1+ y − 1 + z − 1.

6. Let x, y and z be positive integers such that 1/x − 1/y = 1/z. Let h be their greatest common divisor.
Prove that hxyz and h(y − x) are perfect squares.
Let x = ha, y = hb, z = hc. Suppose that gcd(a, b) = g, say a = ga0 , b = gb0 . Then 1/a − 1/b = 1/c
implies that
c(b0 − a0 ) = a0 b0 g.
But both a0 and b0 are relatively prime to b0 − a0 (since they are relatively prime to one another). Hence
g|c and hence g = 1. But then also b0 − a0 = 1 and so c = a0 b0 = ab. The rest is trivial.
7. Let a, b, c > 0. Prove that:
   
 a b  c a+b+c
1+ 1+ 1+ ≥2 1+ √
3
.
b c a abc
 We have:
a a b b c c
LHS = 2+ + + + + +
b c c a a b 
a a a b b b c c c
= + + + + + + + + −1
a b c a b c a b c
a+b+c
≥ 3 √3
−1
abc
a+b+c
≥ 2 √3
+3−1
abc
 
a+b+c
= 2 1+ √ 3
,
abc
just using AM-GM a couple of times.
8. Let a1 , a2 , . . . be a sequence of real numbers satisfying ai+j ≤ ai + aj for all i and j. Prove that:
a2 a3 an
a1 + + + ··· + ≥ an
2 3 n
for each positive integer n.
Induction. Convenient to set bi = ai /i and show that nb1 + · · · + nbn−1 ≥ (n − 1)an .