2009 AIME I Problem 7

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Concepts:telescopinglogarithmmodular arithmetic

Difficulty rating: 2450

7.

The sequence (an)(a_n) satisfies a1=1a_1 = 1 and 5(an+1an)1=1n+235^{(a_{n+1} - a_n)} - 1 = \frac{1}{n + \frac{2}{3}} for n1.n \ge 1. Let kk be the least integer greater than 11 for which aka_k is an integer. Find k.k.

Solution:

The relation says 5an+1an=1+33n+2=3n+53n+2.5^{a_{n+1} - a_n} = 1 + \frac{3}{3n + 2} = \frac{3n+5}{3n+2}. Multiplying these equations for n=1,2,,k1n = 1, 2, \ldots, k - 1 telescopes: 5aka1=3k+25,soak=1+log53k+25=log5(3k+2).5^{a_k - a_1} = \frac{3k + 2}{5}, \qquad \text{so} \qquad a_k = 1 + \log_5 \frac{3k+2}{5} = \log_5 (3k + 2).

Thus aka_k is an integer exactly when 3k+23k + 2 is a power of 5.5. Since 5j2j(mod3),5^j \equiv 2^j \pmod 3, only odd exponents jj give numbers of the form 3k+2.3k + 2. The power 51=55^1 = 5 gives k=1,k = 1, which is excluded, and the next, 53=125=341+2,5^3 = 125 = 3 \cdot 41 + 2, gives k=41.k = 41.

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