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Giant divisibility (Posted on 2021-01-21) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Show that (k3)! is divisible by (k!)k2+k+1

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Some Thoughts Possible Solution Comment 2 of 2 |
Assuming the factorial notation implies that the problem runs over the positive integers,

(k^3)! = (k!)(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)....(for k(k-1) terms to produce (k^2)!) and then ...(k^2+1)(k^2+2)(k^2+3)....(for k^2(k-1) terms to produce (k^3)!

eg

(k!)(k+1)(k+2)=(k^2)!, k=2
(k!)(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)(k+4)(k+5)(k+6)=(k^2)! k=3
(k!)(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)(k+4)(k+5)(k+6)(k+7)(k+8)(k+9)(k+10)(k+11)(k+12)=(k^2)! k=4
etc.

Write (k!)^((k^2)+k+1) as (k!)^(k^2)*(k!)^k*(k!)

k! clearly divides k!

By inspection, the terms (k+1)(k+2)(k+3)...2k are divisible by k! because every number that is a factor of k! must be smaller than k, and hence would divide at least one of (k+1), (k+2),...2k. Such sets of terms occur (k-1) times to produce k!^(k-1). Note that because the final term k^2 is a square, there is at least one extra k! over the series as a whole:

- Note that the largest divisor of k! is by definition k. Since each other divisor of k! is smaller than k, it must repeat with greater frequency than k between 1 and k! 

- The divisor k itself occurs with frequency (k-1)!, with 1,2,3... extra copies for each power of k, since each segment of the series ends with a power of k. By comparison, the divisor (k-1) occurs with frequency k!/(k-1), with 1,2,3... copies for each power of (k-1). This gives extra copies of (k-1) in the ratio k^n-(k-1)^n, i.e. (2k-1), (3k^2-3k+1), (4k^3-6k^2+4k-1)...etc. depending on the final power of k. Naturally, smaller components (k-2), (k-3), etc. will occur with still greater frequency. 

- End Note.

So k!^(k) divides (k^3)!/k!

eg1: (k!)(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)(k+4)(k+5)(k+6)=(k^2)! for k=3 
3!= 1*2*3 = 6. We can ignore factors (O) not in 3!

(k+1)(k+2)(k+3) = 2^2*2*3*O, with a copy of k!=6, plus 2^2
(k+4)(k+5)(k+6) = 2^3*3^2*O, with a copy of k!=6, plus 3*2^2, giving an extra copy of k!=6

eg2: (k!)(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)(k+4)(k+5)(k+6)(k+7)(k+8)(k+9)(k+10)(k+11)(k+12)=(k^2)! k=4

(k!) = 1*2*3*4 = 24
(k+1)(k+2)(k+3)(k+4) = 2*3*2^3*O, with a copy of k!=24, plus 2.
(k+5)(k+6)(k+7)(k+8) = 3^2*2*3*2^2*O, with a copy of k!=24, plus 3^2
(k+9)(k+10)(k+11)(k+12) = 2*3*2^4, with a copy of k!=24, plus 2^2, again giving an extra copy of k!=24

Consider the terms (k^2+1)(k^2+2)(k^2+3)...(2k^2). By the same reasoning as above, such sets of terms occur k^2(k-1) times to produce (k!)^(k^2-1), and because the final term is a cube, there is again at least one extra k! over the series as a whole. So (k!)^(k^2) divides (k^3)!/(k!)^k*(k!).

Hence (k^3)! is divisible by (k!)^((k^2)+k+1). 

More generally, (k^n)! is divisible by (k!)^((k^(n-1))+(k^(n-2))+(k^(n-3))....+k+1)


Edited on January 22, 2021, 8:04 pm
  Posted by broll on 2021-01-22 03:43:05

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