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BMO 2019 Shortlist

2019 algebra

Problem

Let be an arbitrary positive integer. Let be an infinite sequence of positive integers such that for every positive integer the term is the smallest positive integer such that is divisible by . Prove that there is a positive integer such that for all .

Let be an arbitrary positive integer. Consider the infinite sequence , defined inductively as follows: given define the term as the smallest positive integer such that is divisible by . Prove that there exists a positive integer such that for all .
Solution
Define for every positive integer . According to condition, is a positive integer for every positive integer . Since is the smallest positive integer such that is a positive integer and which is a positive integer, we get for every positive integer . Now from last result we have Hence the infinite sequence of positive integers is non-increasing. So there exists a positive integer such that for all we have Similarly we get , which follows that . Hence, taking , we can state that for every .

Techniques

Recurrence relationsSums and productsDivisibility / Factorization