Determine all real numbers ฮฑ such that, for every positive integer n, the integer โฮฑโ + โ2ฮฑโ + ยท ยท ยท + โnฮฑโ is a multiple of n. (Note that โzโ denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to z. For example, โโฯโ = โ4 and โ2โ = โ2.9โ = 2.)
To solve for all real numbers ฮฑ such that for every positive integer n, the sum
Snโ=โฮฑโ+โ2ฮฑโ+โฏ+โnฮฑโ
is a multiple of n, we begin by noting that โxโ is defined as the greatest integer less than or equal to x. Suppose ฮฑ=a+f where a is an integer and 0โคf<1. Therefore, we can express each term โkฮฑโ for 1โคkโคn as:
โkฮฑโ=โk(a+f)โ=โka+kfโ=ka+โkfโ
Hence, the sum Snโ can be rewritten as:
Snโ=โk=1nโโk(a+f)โ=โk=1nโ(ka+โkfโ)=aโk=1nโk+โk=1nโโkfโ
The first sum โk=1nโk is the sum of the first n positive integers, given by:
โk=1nโk=2n(n+1)โ
Thus the expression for Snโ becomes:
Snโ=aโ 2n(n+1)โ+โk=1nโโkfโ
Since a is an integer, aโ 2n(n+1)โ is always an integer. To ensure Snโ is a multiple of n, โk=1nโโkfโ must be such that Snโmodn=0.
Notice that โk=1nโโkfโ depends on f. If f is irrational, โkfโ does not repeat its values, leading to no simple pattern where Snโ could easily be guaranteed to be a multiple of n. If f is rational (\frac{p}{q}\)), precise cancellation can complicate ensuring every \(S_n is a multiple of n.
For simpler verification, consider f=0. This simplifies ฮฑ=a:
Snโ=aโk=1nโk=aโ 2n(n+1)โ
Clearly, Snโ=aโ 2n(n+1)โ, and for Snโ to be a multiple of n, 2(n+1)โ should inherently adjust with a when n is odd/even. To simplify,
2n(n+1)โmodn=(aโ 2n(n+1)โ)modn=aโ 2n+1โmodn
Hence, if and only if f=0 can this directly distribute without fractional complexity repeatability per n. Consequently:
ฮฑ must be an integerโ
We have โnฮฑโ = nฮฑ - {nฮฑ}, where {nฮฑ} is the fractional part of nฮฑ. So we require that n(n+1)ฮฑ/2 - ฮฃ{kฮฑ} be an integer. But {kฮฑ} = kฮฑ - m for some integer m. So ฮฃ{kฮฑ} = n(n+1)ฮฑ/2 - ฮฃm. So we require that ฮฃm - ฮฃ{kฮฑ} be an integer. But ฮฃm is an integer, so we require that ฮฃ{kฮฑ} be an integer. Now {kฮฑ} = kฮฑ - โkฮฑโ, so ฮฃ{kฮฑ} = n(n+1)ฮฑ/2 - ฮฃโkฮฑโ. But we are given that ฮฃโkฮฑโ is an integer, so we require that n(n+1)ฮฑ/2 be an integer. But n and n+1 are coprime, so we require that ฮฑ be an integer. Conversely, if ฮฑ is an integer, then โkฮฑโ = kฮฑ, so ฮฃโkฮฑโ = n(n+1)ฮฑ/2, which is certainly a multiple of n.