One for All; All for One

Algebra Level 4

Let g g be a function defined over all positive integers such that g ( 1 ) = 1 g(1) = 1 and k = 1 n g ( k ) = n 2 g ( n ) \displaystyle\sum_{k=1}^{n} g(k) = n^{2}g(n) for n 2. n \ge 2.

If 2015 g ( 2015 ) = a b , 2015 \cdot g(2015) = \dfrac{a}{b}, where a a and b b are positive coprime integers, then find a + b . a + b.


The answer is 1009.

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3 solutions

Note first that g ( n ) = n 2 g ( n ) ( n 1 ) 2 g ( n 1 ) g(n) = n^{2}g(n) - (n - 1)^{2}g(n - 1) , and thus

g ( n ) = ( n 1 ) 2 n 2 1 g ( n 1 ) = n 1 n + 1 g ( n 1 ) g(n) = \dfrac{(n - 1)^{2}}{n^{2} - 1}g(n - 1) = \dfrac{n - 1}{n + 1}g(n - 1) for n 2. n \ge 2.

Now observe that g ( 2 ) = 2 2 3 , g ( 3 ) = 2 3 4 , g ( 4 ) = 2 4 5 , g ( 5 ) = 2 5 6 , . g(2) = \dfrac{2}{2*3}, g(3) = \dfrac{2}{3*4}, g(4) = \dfrac{2}{4*5}, g(5) = \dfrac{2}{5*6}, \cdots.

So it would appear that the general formula is g ( n ) = 2 n ( n + 1 ) g(n) = \dfrac{2}{n(n + 1)} , which also holds for g ( 1 ) = 1. g(1) = 1. Using induction, we have just observed that the formula hold for n = 1 , n = 1, so now assume that it holds for some n 1. n \ge 1. Then

g ( n + 1 ) = n n + 2 g ( n ) = n n + 2 2 n ( n + 1 ) = 2 ( n + 1 ) ( n + 2 ) g(n + 1) = \dfrac{n}{n + 2}g(n) = \dfrac{n}{n + 2}*\dfrac{2}{n(n + 1)} = \dfrac{2}{(n + 1)(n + 2)} ,

and so the formula holds true for n + 1 n + 1 given that it holds true for n . n.

Therefore 2015 g ( 2015 ) = 2015 2 2015 2016 = 1 1008 , 2015*g(2015) = 2015*\dfrac{2}{2015*2016} = \dfrac{1}{1008}, and thus a + b = 1 + 1008 = 1009 . a + b = 1 + 1008 = \boxed{1009}.

Your Proof is elegant. I did in brute force way. After Noticing few starting terms as : g ( 1 ) = 1 , g ( 2 ) = 1 3 , g ( 3 ) = 1 6 , g ( 4 ) = 1 10 . . . . . . g\left( 1 \right) =1,g\left( 2 \right) =\cfrac { 1 }{ 3 } ,g\left( 3 \right) =\cfrac { 1 }{ 6 } ,g\left( 4 \right) =\cfrac { 1 }{ 10 } ...... I found that denomnator has 2nd order difference constant. So D r = 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + . . . . . . . . . . . T n ( 1 ) D r = 1 + 3 + 6 + . . . . . . . . . . . . . T n 1 + T n ( 2 ) ( 1 ) ( 2 ) 0 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . . . . . . . . . . ( T n T n 1 ) T n T n = r = 1 n r = n ( n + 1 ) 2 g ( n ) = 2 n ( n + 1 ) \displaystyle{{ D }_{ r }=1+3+6+10+...........{ T }_{ n }\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad (1)\\ { D }_{ r }=\quad \quad 1+3+6+.............{ T }_{ n-1 }+{ T }_{ n }\quad \quad (2)\\ (1)-(2)\\ 0=1+2+3+4+............({ T }_{ n }-{ T }_{ n-1 })-{ T }_{ n }\\ { T }_{ n }=\sum _{ r=1 }^{ n }{ r } =\cfrac { n(n+1) }{ 2 } \\ g\left( n \right) =\cfrac { 2 }{ n(n+1) } }

Deepanshu Gupta - 6 years, 3 months ago

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I did it in the same way and yea I agree, Brian's proof is more elegant.

Ayan Jain - 6 years, 3 months ago

I don't think your solution is "brute force"; it seems perfectly elegant to me. :)

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 3 months ago

I too got the answer by deducing the pattern. Made a quick c++ program to do the addition though (lol)

Swarup Bhattacharjee - 6 years, 3 months ago
Pi Han Goh
Mar 14, 2015

It's see easy to see that g ( 1 ) = 1 , g ( 2 ) = 1 3 , g ( 3 ) = 1 6 , g ( 4 ) = 1 10 , g ( 5 ) = 1 15 g(1) = 1, g(2) = \frac {1}{3} , g(3) = \frac 1 6 , g(4) = \frac {1}{10}, g(5) = \frac {1}{15} , which are all reciprocal of triangular numbers. So g ( n ) = 2 n ( n + 1 ) g(n) = \frac {2}{n(n+1)} , I leave the proof for the reader, apply telescoping sum, it will satisfy the summation given. So the fraction is simply 2015 × 2 2015 × 2016 = 1 1008 2015 \times \frac {2}{2015 \times 2016} = \frac {1}{1008}

You would need a pen and paper to properly understand the solution.......g(1) + g(2) + .........g(n-1) = (n-1)^2 g(n-1) = (n^2-1) g(n). ; (n-1) g( n-1) = ( n+1) *g( n). ; on writing this equation sequentially one by one by putting n=2, then n=3 and so on......then adding LHS and RHS of those equations respectively, we get...........g(1) = g(2) + g(3) + g(4) + ........g(n-1) + (n+1) g(n)......adding g(1) to both sides......and then using the first relation......we get......2 g(1) = n g(n) + (n^2 ) g(n)..........putting n=2015......we get 2015 *g(2015) = 2/2016 = 1/1008..........

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