olymmath

Putnam 2002 A5

  • Session A

Define a sequence by a0=1a_0=1, together with the rules a2n+1=ana_{2n+1} = a_n and a2n+2=an+an+1a_{2n+2} = a_n + a_{n+1} for each integer n≥0n \geq 0. Prove that every positive rational number appears in the set {an−1an:n≥1}={11,12,21,13,32,… }.\left\{ \frac{a_{n-1}}{a_n}: n \geq 1 \right\} = \left\{ \frac{1}{1}, \frac{1}{2}, \frac{2}{1}, \frac{1}{3}, \frac{3}{2}, \dots \right\}.

Curated text Kedlaya Putnam archive. Quoted with source.

Solutions

Human solution Solution 1 by Kiran Kedlaya and Lenny Ng

The terms of the source let olymmath link to this solution but not copy it. Read the solution (Kedlaya Putnam archive).

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