2006 AIME I Problem 11

Build towers of the cubes $1, \ldots, n + 1$ by inserting the largest cube into a legal tower of the smaller ones

For $n \ge 2,$ cube $n + 1$ can go on the bottom, on cube $n,$ or on cube $n - 1$ — the count triples at each step

Let $S(n)$ be the number of legal towers using the cubes of edge-lengths $1, \ldots, n.$ Given a legal tower of $n \ge 2$ cubes, cube $n + 1$ can be inserted in exactly three places: at the bottom, immediately on top of cube $n,$ or immediately on top of cube $n - 1$ (anywhere else it would rest on a cube of edge-length at most $n - 2,$ violating the rule). Each insertion stays legal, because the cube that ends up on top of cube $n + 1$ has edge-length at most $n \lt (n+1) + 2.$ Conversely, deleting cube $n + 1$ from a legal tower of $n + 1$ cubes leaves a legal tower: the cube that was above it, of edge-length at most $n,$ lands on a cube of edge-length at least $n - 1.$

Hence $S(n + 1) = 3 S(n)$ for $n \ge 2.$ Since $S(2) = 2$ (either of the two cubes may be on top), we get $T = S(8) = 2 \cdot 3^6 = 1458,$ and the remainder is $458.$