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Algebra Level 5

Let f : N + Q + f:\mathbb{N}^+ \to \mathbb{Q}^+ satisfies f ( 1 ) = 2016 f(1) = 2016 and i = 1 n f ( i ) = n 2 f ( n ) \displaystyle \sum_{i=1}^n f(i) = n^2 f(n) for n > 1 n>1 .

If the value of f ( 2016 ) f(2016) can be represented as a b \dfrac {a}{b} where a a and b b are coprime positive integers, what is the value of a + b a+b ?


The answer is 2019.

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1 solution

Sharky Kesa
Sep 11, 2016

Substituting n n with n 1 n-1 in condition (b), we get

i = 1 n 1 f ( i ) = ( n 1 ) 2 f ( n 1 ) \displaystyle \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} f(i) = (n-1)^2 f(n-1)

Subtracting this from (b), we get

f ( n ) = n 2 f ( n ) ( n 1 ) 2 f ( n 1 ) ( n 2 1 ) f ( n ) = ( n 1 ) 2 f ( n 1 ) f ( n ) = n 1 n + 1 f ( n 1 ) \begin{aligned} f(n) &= n^2 f(n) - (n-1)^2 f(n-1)\\ (n^2-1) f(n) &= (n-1)^2 f(n-1)\\ f(n) &= \dfrac {n-1}{n+1} f(n-1) \end{aligned}

Applying this iteratively, we get

f ( n ) = n 1 n + 1 n 2 n 2 4 1 3 f ( 1 ) = 2 n ( n + 1 ) f ( 1 ) \begin{aligned} f(n) &= \dfrac {n-1}{n+1} \cdot \dfrac {n-2}{n} \cdot \ldots \cdot \dfrac {2}{4} \cdot \dfrac {1}{3} \cdot f(1)\\ &= \dfrac {2}{n(n+1)} f(1) \end{aligned}

Thus, f ( 2016 ) = 2 2016 × 2017 × 2016 = 2 2017 f(2016) = \frac {2}{2016 \times 2017} \times 2016 = \frac {2}{2017} . Therefore, the answer is 2 + 2017 = 2019 2+2017=\boxed{2019} .

Yeah Exactly Same Way.

Kushagra Sahni - 4 years, 9 months ago

Same way. Nice question!

Shreyash Rai - 4 years, 9 months ago

Bruh... Fix your notation. It can cause some reports. f : N + N + f: \mathbb{N}^+ \to \mathbb{N}^+ implies the function only returns natural numbers, which is obviously not true. Try f : N + Q + f: \mathbb{N}^+ \to \mathbb{Q}^+

Manuel Kahayon - 4 years, 9 months ago

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Nice problem, though. :)

Manuel Kahayon - 4 years, 9 months ago

Fixed, sorry about that.

Sharky Kesa - 4 years, 9 months ago

A typo :

f ( n ) = 2 f ( 1 ) n ( n + 1 ) f(n) = \dfrac{2f(1)}{n(n+1)} not 2 f ( 1 ) n ( n 1 ) \dfrac{2f(1)}{n(n-1)}

neelesh vij - 4 years, 9 months ago

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Thanks! :)

Sharky Kesa - 4 years, 9 months ago

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