IOQM camp

Number theory L2
Sequences

October 11, 2022

Telescoping sequence
• First find tn
• Create the difference between the two factors of denominator in numerator
and split the fractions
• All terms will get cancelled and we get two (or one terms)
1 1 1
1. S = 1·4 + 4·7 + 7·10 + · · · n terms
For finding all terms we write AP of first factor 1, 4, 7, · · · = 3n − 2 .
As second factor is greater by 3 it will be (3n + 1)
1
∴ tn = (3n−2)(3n+1)
3 3 3 3
3S = 1·4 + 4·7 + 7·10 + · · · (3n−2)(3n+1)

1
 (3n+1)−(3n−2)
3S = 4−1 7−4 10−7
1·4 + 4·7 + 7·10 + · · · (3n−2)(3n+1)
3S = 1 − 14 + 14 − 17 + 71 − 10
1 1
+ · · · + (3n−2) − 1
(3n+1)
1 3n
3S = 1 − (3n+1) = 3n+1
n
S = (3n+1)
1 1
2. 1·3·5 + 3·7·5 +···
1 1
3. 1·2·3·4 + 2·3·4·5 +···
n
1
P
4. 4r 2 −1
1
n
(r2 + r + 1)(r!)
P
5. Evaluate
r=0
n
r
P
6. Evaluate (r 4 +r 2 +1)
r=0

1 x2 x4
7. (1−x)(1−x3 ) + (1−x3 )(1−x5 ) + (1−x5 )(1−x7 ) + · · · up to n terms x 6= 0, ±1

Problem set
the number of positive integers n < 100 for which the given expres-
1. Findr
√
q p
sion n + n + n + n + . . . is an integer.

2. What is the value of

 
1 1 1
(x+1)(x+2006) + + ... + ?
(x + 1)(x + 2) (x + 2)(x + 3) (x + 2005)(x + 2006)

3. The sequence xn is defined by x1 = 1/2, xk+1 = x2k + xk . Find the integer

part of the sum
1 1 1
+ + ··· +
x1 + 1 x2 + 1 x100 + 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
(Hint: xk+1 = xk (1+xk ) = xk − (1+xk ) hence (1+xk ) = xk − xk+1 )

4. If
1
f (x) = √
3
√ √
x2 + 2x + 1 + 3 x2 − 1 + 3 x2 − 2x + 1
for all positive integers x, find the value of

f (1) + f (3) + f (5) + · · · + f (997) + f (998) + f (999).

(Hint : Can we use formula (a − b)(a2 + ab + b2 ) = a3 − b3 )

2
Past years PreRMO problems
1. -b^(PreRMO 2017) Integers 1, 2, 3 . . . , n, where n > 2 are written on a
board. Two numbers m, k such that 1 < m < n, 1 < k < n are removed
and the average of the remaining numbers is found to be 17. What is the
maximum sum of the two removed numbers?
2. (PreRMO 2017) Let u, v, w be real numbers in geometric progression such
that u > v > w. Suppose u40 = v n = w60 . Find the value of n.
9
1
P
3. (PreRMO 2017) Let the sum n(n+1)(n+2) written in its lowest terms
n=1
p
be q . Find the value of q − p.

4. (PreRMO 2017) Five distinct 2-digit numbers are in geometric progression.

Find the middle term.
5. (PreRMO 2018) Let N = 6 + 66 + 666 + ..... + 666....66, where there are
hundred 6’s in the last term in the sum. How many times does the digit
7 occur in the number N ?
6. (PreRMO 2019 P1) Let x1 be a positive real number and for every integer
n ≥ 1 let xn+1 = 1 + x1 x2 · · · xn . If x5 = 43, what is the sum of digits of
the largest prime factor of x6 ?

7. (PreRMO 2019 P1)A natural number k > 1 is called good if there exist
natural numbers
a1 < a2 < · · · < ak
1 1 1
such that √ + √ +· · ·+ √ = 1 Let f (n) be the sum of the first n good
a1 a2 ak
numbers, n ≥ 1. Find the sum of all values of n for which f (n + 5)/f (n)
is an integer.
8. (PreRMO 2019 P2)Let a1 = 24 and form the sequence an , n ≥ 2 by an =
100an–1 + 134. The first few terms are 24, 2534, 253534, 25353534, ....What
is the least value of n for which an is divisible by 99?
9. Consider the sequence

1, 7, 8, 49, 50, 56, 57, 343 . . .

which consists of sums of distinct powers of 7, that is, 70 , 71 , 70 +71 , 72 ,. . .

in increasing order. At what position will 16856 occur in this sequence?
PN
10. (preRMO 2020/3)If k=1 (k2k+1 2 +k)2 = 0.9999 then determine the value of N.

1 √ √
11. (PreRMO 2012) If √ √ = m− n , where m and n are
2011+ 20112 −1
positive integers , what is the value of m + n?

3
 n 99
1 √ 1
P P
12. (PreRMO 2013)Let Sn = √
k+1+ k
. What is the value of Sn +Sn−1 ?
k=0 n=1
√
(PreRMO 2017) Find the number of positive integers n such that
13. √ n+
n + 1 < 11

Answers
Telescopic series
1 1 1 1 1
2) s∞ = 12 , Sn = 12 − 4(2r+1)(2r+3) 3) s∞ = 18 , Sn = 18 −
1
3(n+1)(n+2)(n+3) h i
4) s∞ = 12 , Sn = 12 − 2·(2n+1)
1
5) (n+1)·(n+1)! 6) 1
2 1− 1
n2 +n+1 7)
x2n+1 −x
S = (1−x3 )(1−x)(1−x 2n+1 )

Set 1
1) 9 2)2005 3) 1 4) 32 5) 5
Past years PreRMO problems h i
4) s∞ = 12 , Sn = 21 − 2·(2n+1)
1
6) (n+1)·(n+1)! 7) 21 1 − n2 +n+1
1

1) 51 2)48 3) 83 4) 36 5) 34 6)13 7) 18 8) 88 9)
36 10) 99 11)2011 12) 9 13)29