IMO 1976 · Problem 6

A sequence \(\{u_n\}\) is defined by \[ u_0=2,\ u_1=5/2,\ u_{n+1}=u_n(u_{n-1}^2-2)-u_1 \quad\text{for }n=1,2,\cdots \] Prove that for positive integers \(n\), \[ [u_n]=2^{[2^n-(-1)^n]/3} \] where \([x]\) denotes the greatest integer \(\leq x\).

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Solution

Define \[ a_n=\frac{2^n-(-1)^n}{3}\qquad(n\geq0). \] Since \(2\equiv-1\pmod3\), every \(a_n\) is an integer. Moreover, \(a_0=0\), \(a_1=1\), and \(a_n\geq1\) for \(n\geq1\). Direct calculation gives, for \(n\geq1\), \[ a_n+2a_{n-1}=a_{n+1}, \qquad a_n-2a_{n-1}=(-1)^{n-1}. \]

We prove the stronger identity \[ u_n=2^{a_n}+2^{-a_n}\qquad(n\geq0). \] For \(n=0,1\), this follows from \[ u_0=2=2^0+2^{-0}, \qquad u_1=\frac52=2^1+2^{-1}. \] Suppose the identity holds at indices \(n-1\) and \(n\), where \(n\geq1\). Then \[ u_{n-1}^2-2=2^{2a_{n-1}}+2^{-2a_{n-1}}, \] so the defining recurrence yields \[ \begin{aligned} u_{n+1} &=(2^{a_n}+2^{-a_n}) (2^{2a_{n-1}}+2^{-2a_{n-1}})-\frac52\\ &=2^{a_n+2a_{n-1}}+2^{-a_n-2a_{n-1}} +2^{a_n-2a_{n-1}}+2^{-a_n+2a_{n-1}}-\frac52\\ &=2^{a_{n+1}}+2^{-a_{n+1}}. \end{aligned} \] Indeed, \(a_n-2a_{n-1}\) is either \(1\) or \(-1\), so the last two powers in the second line sum to \(2+\tfrac12=\tfrac52\). This completes the induction.

Finally, for every positive integer \(n\), \(2^{a_n}\) is an integer and \[ 0<2^{-a_n}\leq\frac12<1. \] Consequently, \[ [u_n]=2^{a_n}=2^{[2^n-(-1)^n]/3}, \] as required.

The solution was checked against John Scholes' IMO solution archive (Kalva).