The least n n

Find the least positive integer n n such that there exists a set { s 1 , s 2 , . . . , s n } \{s_{1}, s_{2},...,s_{n} \} of n n distinct positive inegers such that ( 1 1 s 1 ) ( 1 1 s 2 ) ( 1 1 s n ) = 51 2010 . \left(1-\dfrac{1}{s_{1}}\right) \left(1-\dfrac{1}{s_{2}}\right)\cdots \left(1-\dfrac{1}{s_{n}}\right)= \dfrac{51}{2010}.


The answer is 39.

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1 solution

Jubayer Nirjhor
Oct 29, 2014

Clearly s i 1 s_i\neq 1 for any i i . WLOG suppose 1 < s 1 < s 2 < < s n 1<s_1<s_2<\cdots<s_n which implies 2 s 1 s 2 1 s 3 2 s n ( n 1 ) 2\le s_1\le s_2-1\le s_3-2\le\cdots\le s_n-(n-1) hence for all j j we have s j j + 1 s_j\ge j+1 . This gives 51 2010 = j = 1 n ( 1 1 s j ) j = 1 n ( 1 1 j + 1 ) = j = 1 n j j + 1 = 1 n + 1 n 39. \dfrac{51}{2010}=\prod_{j=1}^n\left(1-\dfrac{1}{s_j}\right)\ge \prod_{j=1}^n\left(1-\dfrac{1}{j+1}\right)=\prod_{j=1}^n\dfrac{j}{j+1}=\dfrac{1}{n+1}\implies n\ge 39.

It remains to show that n = 39 n=39 works. Left to the reader as an exercise.

This is ISL 2010 N1 by the way.

Right, so s 1 , , s 39 = 2 , 3 , , 33 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 67 s_1, \ldots, s_{39} = 2,3,\ldots,33, 35,36,37,38,39,40,67 should work.

Patrick Corn - 6 years, 7 months ago

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And it's unique, afair.

Jubayer Nirjhor - 6 years, 7 months ago

if we take s1,s2,s3.......s16 = 2,3,4,.......11,5,4,3,4,18,67 IT STILL WORKS!!! (51/2010=17/670)

Archi Gupta - 6 years, 7 months ago

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