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Printsmc
number theory senior
Problem
Let be a set of integers taken from with the property that if and are elements of with , then is not a multiple of . What is the least possible value of an element in ?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Solution
We start with because is not an answer choice. We would have to include every odd number except to fill out the set, but then and would violate the rule, so that won't work. Experimentation with shows it's likewise impossible. You can include and either or (which are always safe). But after adding either or we have no more valid numbers. Finally, starting with we find that the sequence works, giving us
Final answer
C