olymmath

Putnam 2018 A4

  • Session A

Let mm and nn be positive integers with gcd⁡(m,n)=1\gcd(m,n) = 1, and let ak=⌊mkn⌋−⌊m(k−1)n⌋a_k = \left\lfloor \frac{mk}{n} \right\rfloor - \left\lfloor \frac{m(k-1)}{n} \right\rfloor for k=1,2,…,nk=1,2,\dots,n. Suppose that gg and hh are elements in a group GG and that gha1gha2⋯ghan=e,gh^{a_1} gh^{a_2} \cdots gh^{a_n} = e, where ee is the identity element. Show that gh=hggh= hg. (As usual, ⌊x⌋\lfloor x \rfloor denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to xx.)

Curated text Kedlaya Putnam archive. Quoted with source.

Solutions

Human solution Solution 1 by Kiran Kedlaya and Lenny Ng

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