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k a April Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Apr 2, 2025
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner, what are your plans? At AoPS Online our schedule has new classes starting now through July, so be sure to keep your skills sharp and be prepared for the Fall school year! Check out the schedule of upcoming classes below.

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[*]April 22nd (Webinar), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Competitive Programming at AoPS (USACO).[/list]
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0 replies
jlacosta
Apr 2, 2025
0 replies
k i Adding contests to the Contest Collections
dcouchman   1
N Apr 5, 2023 by v_Enhance
Want to help AoPS remain a valuable Olympiad resource? Help us add contests to AoPS's Contest Collections.

Find instructions and a list of contests to add here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c40244h1064480_contests_to_add
1 reply
dcouchman
Sep 9, 2019
v_Enhance
Apr 5, 2023
k i Zero tolerance
ZetaX   49
N May 4, 2019 by NoDealsHere
Source: Use your common sense! (enough is enough)
Some users don't want to learn, some other simply ignore advises.
But please follow the following guideline:


To make it short: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!
If you don't have common sense, don't post.


More specifically:

For new threads:


a) Good, meaningful title:
The title has to say what the problem is about in best way possible.
If that title occured already, it's definitely bad. And contest names aren't good either.
That's in fact a requirement for being able to search old problems.

Examples:
Bad titles:
- "Hard"/"Medium"/"Easy" (if you find it so cool how hard/easy it is, tell it in the post and use a title that tells us the problem)
- "Number Theory" (hey guy, guess why this forum's named that way¿ and is it the only such problem on earth¿)
- "Fibonacci" (there are millions of Fibonacci problems out there, all posted and named the same...)
- "Chinese TST 2003" (does this say anything about the problem¿)
Good titles:
- "On divisors of a³+2b³+4c³-6abc"
- "Number of solutions to x²+y²=6z²"
- "Fibonacci numbers are never squares"


b) Use search function:
Before posting a "new" problem spend at least two, better five, minutes to look if this problem was posted before. If it was, don't repost it. If you have anything important to say on topic, post it in one of the older threads.
If the thread is locked cause of this, use search function.

Update (by Amir Hossein). The best way to search for two keywords in AoPS is to input
[code]+"first keyword" +"second keyword"[/code]
so that any post containing both strings "first word" and "second form".


c) Good problem statement:
Some recent really bad post was:
[quote]$lim_{n\to 1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{n}-lnn$[/quote]
It contains no question and no answer.
If you do this, too, you are on the best way to get your thread deleted. Write everything clearly, define where your variables come from (and define the "natural" numbers if used). Additionally read your post at least twice before submitting. After you sent it, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.


For answers to already existing threads:


d) Of any interest and with content:
Don't post things that are more trivial than completely obvious. For example, if the question is to solve $x^{3}+y^{3}=z^{3}$, do not answer with "$x=y=z=0$ is a solution" only. Either you post any kind of proof or at least something unexpected (like "$x=1337, y=481, z=42$ is the smallest solution). Someone that does not see that $x=y=z=0$ is a solution of the above without your post is completely wrong here, this is an IMO-level forum.
Similar, posting "I have solved this problem" but not posting anything else is not welcome; it even looks that you just want to show off what a genius you are.

e) Well written and checked answers:
Like c) for new threads, check your solutions at least twice for mistakes. And after sending, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.



To repeat it: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!


Everything definitely out of range of common sense will be locked or deleted (exept for new users having less than about 42 posts, they are newbies and need/get some time to learn).

The above rules will be applied from next monday (5. march of 2007).
Feel free to discuss on this here.
49 replies
ZetaX
Feb 27, 2007
NoDealsHere
May 4, 2019
Primes that divide a³-3a+1
rodamaral   28
N 10 minutes ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: Question 6 - Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad 2017
6. Let $a$ be a positive integer and $p$ a prime divisor of $a^3-3a+1$, with $p \neq 3$. Prove that $p$ is of the form $9k+1$ or $9k-1$, where $k$ is integer.
28 replies
rodamaral
Dec 7, 2017
Ilikeminecraft
10 minutes ago
Sum-free multiplicative group mod p can be arbitrarily large
v_Enhance   25
N 16 minutes ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: USA January TST for the 55th IMO 2014
For a prime $p$, a subset $S$ of residues modulo $p$ is called a sum-free multiplicative subgroup of $\mathbb F_p$ if
$\bullet$ there is a nonzero residue $\alpha$ modulo $p$ such that $S = \left\{ 1, \alpha^1, \alpha^2, \dots \right\}$ (all considered mod $p$), and
$\bullet$ there are no $a,b,c \in S$ (not necessarily distinct) such that $a+b \equiv c \pmod p$.
Prove that for every integer $N$, there is a prime $p$ and a sum-free multiplicative subgroup $S$ of $\mathbb F_p$ such that $\left\lvert S \right\rvert \ge N$.

Proposed by Noga Alon and Jean Bourgain
25 replies
v_Enhance
Apr 28, 2014
Ilikeminecraft
16 minutes ago
Number Theory
TUAN2k8   2
N 27 minutes ago by TUAN2k8
Prove that there are infinitely many of positive integers m such that $m+1 | 3^m+1$
2 replies
TUAN2k8
Today at 3:25 PM
TUAN2k8
27 minutes ago
Existence of a circle tangent to four lines
egxa   2
N 27 minutes ago by mathlearner-sd
Source: All Russian 2025 10.2
Inside triangle \(ABC\), point \(P\) is marked. Point \(Q\) is on segment \(AB\), and point \(R\) is on segment \(AC\) such that the circumcircles of triangles \(BPQ\) and \(CPR\) are tangent to line \(AP\). Lines are drawn through points \(B\) and \(C\) passing through the center of the circumcircle of triangle \(BPC\), and through points \(Q\) and \(R\) passing through the center of the circumcircle of triangle \(PQR\). Prove that there exists a circle tangent to all four drawn lines.
2 replies
egxa
Today at 9:51 AM
mathlearner-sd
27 minutes ago
IMO ShortList 2008, Number Theory problem 4
April   20
N 40 minutes ago by megarnie
Source: IMO ShortList 2008, Number Theory problem 4
Let $ n$ be a positive integer. Show that the numbers
\[ \binom{2^n - 1}{0},\; \binom{2^n - 1}{1},\; \binom{2^n - 1}{2},\; \ldots,\; \binom{2^n - 1}{2^{n - 1} - 1}\]
are congruent modulo $ 2^n$ to $ 1$, $ 3$, $ 5$, $ \ldots$, $ 2^n - 1$ in some order.

Proposed by Duskan Dukic, Serbia
20 replies
April
Jul 9, 2009
megarnie
40 minutes ago
powers sums and triangular numbers
gaussious   5
N an hour ago by Lil_flip38
prove 1^k+2^k+3^k + \cdots + n^k \text{is divisible by } \frac{n(n+1)}{2} \text{when} k \text{is odd}
5 replies
gaussious
Yesterday at 1:00 PM
Lil_flip38
an hour ago
Parallelograms and concyclicity
Lukaluce   29
N 2 hours ago by ItsBesi
Source: EGMO 2025 P4
Let $ABC$ be an acute triangle with incentre $I$ and $AB \neq AC$. Let lines $BI$ and $CI$ intersect the circumcircle of $ABC$ at $P \neq B$ and $Q \neq C$, respectively. Consider points $R$ and $S$ such that $AQRB$ and $ACSP$ are parallelograms (with $AQ \parallel RB, AB \parallel QR, AC \parallel SP$, and $AP \parallel CS$). Let $T$ be the point of intersection of lines $RB$ and $SC$. Prove that points $R, S, T$, and $I$ are concyclic.
29 replies
Lukaluce
Apr 14, 2025
ItsBesi
2 hours ago
Inequality with a,b,c,d
GeoMorocco   5
N 2 hours ago by GeoMorocco
Source: Moroccan Training 2025
Let $ a,b,c,d$ positive real numbers such that $ a+b+c+d=3+\frac{1}{abcd}$ . Prove that :
$$ a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2+5abcd \geq 9 $$
5 replies
GeoMorocco
Apr 9, 2025
GeoMorocco
2 hours ago
number theory
Levieee   4
N 2 hours ago by Safal
Idk where it went wrong, marks was deducted for this solution
$\textbf{Question}$
Show that for a fixed pair of distinct positive integers \( a \) and \( b \), there cannot exist infinitely many \( n \in \mathbb{Z} \) such that
\[
\sqrt{n + a} + \sqrt{n + b} \in \mathbb{Z}.
\]
$\textbf{Solution}$

Let
\[
x = \sqrt{n + a} + \sqrt{n + b} \in \mathbb{N}.
\]
Then,
\[
x^2 = (\sqrt{n + a} + \sqrt{n + b})^2 = (n + a) + (n + b) + 2\sqrt{(n + a)(n + b)}.
\]So:
\[
x^2 = 2n + a + b + 2\sqrt{(n + a)(n + b)}.
\]
Therefore,
\[
\sqrt{(n + a)(n + b)} \in \mathbb{N}.
\]
Let
\[
(n + a)(n + b) = k^2.
\]Assume \( n + a \neq n + b \). Then we have:
\[
n + a \mid k \quad \text{and} \quad k \mid n + b,
\]or it could also be that \( k \mid n + a \quad \text{and} \quad n + b \mid k \).

Without loss of generality, we take the first case:
\[
(n + a)k_1 = k \quad \text{and} \quad kk_2 = n + b.
\]
Thus,
\[
k_1 k_2 = \frac{n + b}{n + a}.
\]
Since \( k_1 k_2 \in \mathbb{N} \), we have:
\[
k_1 k_2 = 1 + \frac{b - a}{n + a}.
\]
For infinitely many \( n \), \( \frac{b - a}{n + a} \) must be an integer, which is not possible.

Therefore, there cannot be infinitely many such \( n \).
4 replies
Levieee
4 hours ago
Safal
2 hours ago
Sequence and prime factors
USJL   7
N 3 hours ago by MathLuis
Source: 2025 Taiwan TST Round 2 Independent Study 1-N
Let $a_0,a_1,\ldots$ be a sequence of positive integers with $a_0=1$, $a_1=2$ and
\[a_n = a_{n-1}^{a_{n-1}a_{n-2}}-1\]for all $n\geq 2$. Show that if $p$ is a prime less than $2^k$ for some positive integer $k$, then there exists $n\leq k+1$ such that $p\mid a_n$.
7 replies
USJL
Mar 26, 2025
MathLuis
3 hours ago
complex bashing in angles??
megahertz13   2
N 3 hours ago by ali123456
Source: 2013 PUMAC FA2
Let $\gamma$ and $I$ be the incircle and incenter of triangle $ABC$. Let $D$, $E$, $F$ be the tangency points of $\gamma$ to $\overline{BC}$, $\overline{CA}$, $\overline{AB}$ and let $D'$ be the reflection of $D$ about $I$. Assume $EF$ intersects the tangents to $\gamma$ at $D$ and $D'$ at points $P$ and $Q$. Show that $\angle DAD' + \angle PIQ = 180^\circ$.
2 replies
megahertz13
Nov 5, 2024
ali123456
3 hours ago
f(x+y+f(y)) = f(x) + f(ay)
the_universe6626   5
N 4 hours ago by deduck
Source: Janson MO 4 P5
For a given integer $a$, find all functions $f:\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}$ such that
\[f(x+y+f(y))=f(x)+f(ay)\]holds for all $x,y\in\mathbb{Z}$.

(Proposed by navi_09220114)
5 replies
the_universe6626
Feb 21, 2025
deduck
4 hours ago
a, b subset
MithsApprentice   19
N 4 hours ago by Maximilian113
Source: USAMO 1996
Determine (with proof) whether there is a subset $X$ of the integers with the following property: for any integer $n$ there is exactly one solution of $a + 2b = n$ with $a,b \in X$.
19 replies
MithsApprentice
Oct 22, 2005
Maximilian113
4 hours ago
Hard Polynomial
ZeltaQN2008   1
N 4 hours ago by kiyoras_2001
Source: IDK
Let ?(?) be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Suppose there exist infinitely many integer pairs (?,?) such that
?(?) + ?(?) = 0. Prove that the graph of ?(?) is symmetric about a point (i.e., it has a center of symmetry).






1 reply
ZeltaQN2008
Apr 16, 2025
kiyoras_2001
4 hours ago
Connected graph with k edges
orl   26
N Apr 16, 2025 by Maximilian113
Source: IMO 1991, Day 2, Problem 4, IMO ShortList 1991, Problem 10 (USA 5)
Suppose $ \,G\,$ is a connected graph with $ \,k\,$ edges. Prove that it is possible to label the edges $ 1,2,\ldots ,k\,$ in such a way that at each vertex which belongs to two or more edges, the greatest common divisor of the integers labeling those edges is equal to 1.

Note: Graph-Definition. A graph consists of a set of points, called vertices, together with a set of edges joining certain pairs of distinct vertices. Each pair of vertices $ \,u,v\,$ belongs to at most one edge. The graph $ G$ is connected if for each pair of distinct vertices $ \,x,y\,$ there is some sequence of vertices $ \,x = v_{0},v_{1},v_{2},\cdots ,v_{m} = y\,$ such that each pair $ \,v_{i},v_{i + 1}\;(0\leq i < m)\,$ is joined by an edge of $ \,G$.
26 replies
orl
Nov 11, 2005
Maximilian113
Apr 16, 2025
Connected graph with k edges
G H J
Source: IMO 1991, Day 2, Problem 4, IMO ShortList 1991, Problem 10 (USA 5)
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orl
3647 posts
#1 • 3 Y
Y by Adventure10, megarnie, GeoKing
Suppose $ \,G\,$ is a connected graph with $ \,k\,$ edges. Prove that it is possible to label the edges $ 1,2,\ldots ,k\,$ in such a way that at each vertex which belongs to two or more edges, the greatest common divisor of the integers labeling those edges is equal to 1.

Note: Graph-Definition. A graph consists of a set of points, called vertices, together with a set of edges joining certain pairs of distinct vertices. Each pair of vertices $ \,u,v\,$ belongs to at most one edge. The graph $ G$ is connected if for each pair of distinct vertices $ \,x,y\,$ there is some sequence of vertices $ \,x = v_{0},v_{1},v_{2},\cdots ,v_{m} = y\,$ such that each pair $ \,v_{i},v_{i + 1}\;(0\leq i < m)\,$ is joined by an edge of $ \,G$.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by orl, Aug 15, 2008, 1:51 PM
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Peter
3615 posts
#2 • 4 Y
Y by Wizard_32, Adventure10, Mango247, GeoKing
Click to reveal hidden text

Start at any vertex A and number 1,2,3,... along any path. every vertex you pass will have edges k,k+1 so has gcd=1, until you reach a dead end. (which is either a vertex with degree 1 (no prob) or a vertex on which all edges are labeled yet (no prob). Now if there are unlabeled edges left, start at any vertex of such an edge, and repeat the procedure. Like that you can fill the graph such that all vertices have gcd(edges)=1.

remark
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perfect_radio
2607 posts
#3 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Can I make a small remark? It's kind of late now, maybe I'm missing something obvious.

Small (Redundant) Remark
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Peter
3615 posts
#4 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
I don't see your point... where would I use non-randomness? Note that we are labeling edges, not vertices.

Either a vertex has only one edge (in which case there's nothing to prove), or either there are at least 2, and by the algorithm we will ever run through it and make that vertex thus have at least 2 coprime edges.
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tim1234133
523 posts
#5 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
I don't think this is the point that perfect_radio is making, but anyway... I don't see where your proof uses connectivity. When we have gone through the first set of labelling, you say that if there are unlabelled edges (Sorry about the typo that was here...) 'start at any vertex of such an edge'. How do we know that this vertex (the one we start on the second time we make a path) has gcd(edges)=1?
Can we get round this by saying 'start at a vertex that has some already labelled vertices', and hence use the fact that the graph is connected? Or am I just missing something altogether?
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by tim1234133, Aug 25, 2006, 7:22 PM
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JBL
16123 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
tim1234133 wrote:
I don't think this is the point that perfect_radio is making, but anyway... I don't see where your proof uses connectivity. When we have gone through the first set of labelling, you say that if there are unlabelled vertices 'start at any vertex of such an edge'. How do we know that this vertex (the one we start on the second time we make a path) has gcd(edges)=1?
Can we get round this by saying 'start at a vertex that has some already labelled vertices', and hence use the fact that the graph is connected? Or am I just missing something altogether?

"Start at a vertex that has already labelled edges" is what he meant. Such a vertex exists by connectivity.
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Peter
3615 posts
#7 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
[here was a wrong idea, thx tim1234133.]

For the rest of your remark, tim1234133, I will say it again: we are labeling edges, NOT vertices. If it was only a typo please reformulate your question in the right way as there are many interpretations possible.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Peter, Aug 25, 2006, 7:35 PM
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tim1234133
523 posts
#8 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
How do we label the (unconnected) graph formed of two unconnected triangles (If we call the vertices A-F we have A connected to B and C with B and C also connected to each other, and D connected to E and F with E and F connected to each other) in the required manner?
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Peter
3615 posts
#9 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Err... never mind, we really need connectedness indeed. :oops:
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perfect_radio
2607 posts
#10 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Yes, that was also my point. It's too bad I couldn't explain it in a more understandable manner :(
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GoldenFrog1618
667 posts
#11 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
I will induct on the number of edges and keep the number of verticies fixed.

For a base case, we need to prove that all trees can be labeled. Notice that there is a path between all the verticies of degree >=2. Thus, we should label these edges in order 1,2,3,4 ..., n. (Include the two edges connected to a vertex of degree 1).
Call vertex with no edges labeled "unlabeled" since any permutation of the labels will work.
Note that there are only 2 labeled degree one verticies.

Now we progressively add edges to the graph until we get the desired number of edges.

Case 1: A vertex of degree >=2 connected to a vertex of degree >=2.
There is nothing needed to be done.
Case 2: An unlabeled vertex of degree 1 connected to a vertex of degree >=2.
Label the new edge and the unlabeled edge two consectutive numbers.
Case 3: An unlabeled vertex of degree 1 connected to an unlabeled vertex of degree 1.
Label the two unlabeled edges and the new edge three consecutive numbers.
Case 4: A labeled vertex of degree 1 connected to a vertex of degree >=2.
Label this new edge either n+1 if the label is n or keep it unlabeled if the label is 1.
Case 5: A labled vertex of degree 1 connected to a labeled vertex of degree 1.
Label the connection n+1.
Case 6: A labeled vertex of degree 1 connected to an unlabeled vertex of degree 1.
If the labled edge is n, label the two edges n+1 and n+2 (increase other edges if necessary).
If the labled edge is 1, label the two edges consecutive numbers.

Notice that there are at most two instances of connecting a labeled vertex to another vertex, so we are done.
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shekast-istadegi
81 posts
#12 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
This is easy probelm_hint_>we are doing the graph Euler Garlic by Connect odd edges of the graph and we use induaction.
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Generic_Username
1088 posts
#13 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
wrong
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Generic_Username, Jan 4, 2017, 6:11 PM
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dgrozev
2460 posts
#14 • 3 Y
Y by Generic_Username, Adventure10, Mango247
It's not so trivial. Suppose, we have 4 vertices: $a,b,c,d$ s.t. $\{b,c,d\}$ are connected with each other and $a$ is connected only with $b$. Following the above, we label $ab$ as $1$; $bc, bd$ as $2$ and $3$ respectively and $cd$ as 4. Look at the vertex $c$, its edges are labeled as $2,4$ !?
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yayups
1614 posts
#15 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Not 100\% sure if this works, but here it is.

It suffices to have two adjacent labels at every vertex. Consider the path of maximum length. Label its edges consecutively, and then color all the edges red. Now, consider the maximum length path in non-red edges and repeat. Call path $k$ the maximum length path that we chose on the $k$th iteration. We claim that this works.

Note that all vertices that are not on the ends of any paths are automatically taken care of. The only potential issue is that there could be some vertex $v$ that is always only on the end of paths. If $v$ has degree $1$. then this isn't actually a problem. So suppose $v$ has degree at least $2$. It only appears on the end of paths, so there exist $i,j$ such that $v$ is on an end of path $i$ and path $j$ (WLOG $i<j$). But then, gluing together paths $i$ and $j$ results in a path of longer length at stage $i$ (all of path $j$ is still not red since it was not red at stage $j$). One possible issue is that if paths $i$ and $j$ also share their other respective ends, but this can easily solved by deleting one edge in the cycle that's formed when we glued them (still leads to a longer path on stage $i$). Therefore, we must have $\mathrm{deg}v=1$, so every vertex now has two adjacent labels adjacent to it.

EDIT: This is wrong, consider a cycle. I will try to fix soon...
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by yayups, Sep 1, 2018, 4:28 PM
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MathStudent2002
934 posts
#16 • 4 Y
Y by cosmicgenius, AlastorMoody, Adventure10, Mango247
Epic problem. Solution with ewan.

Say all degrees are even. Then, we have an Eulerian circuit, which we just label $1, 2, \ldots, k$ in succession. Then, each vertex is labeled either with 2 consecutive integers or with $1$ and $k$ (or both) so we are done.

Else, consider the graph $G'$ where we add edges to $G$ between pairs of odd-degree vertices. Then, $G'$ has an Eulerian circuit. Removing the added edges from the circuit turns it into a set of walks with union $E(G)$ such that each walk starts and ends at odd-degree vertices and each odd-degree is the endpoint of exactly one walk.

Now, if the walks have lengths $k_1, \ldots, k_m$, then label the first one with $[1, k_1]$ in order, the second one with $[k_1+1, k_1+k_2]$, etc., and the last one with $[k_1+\cdots+k_{m-1}+1, k_1+\cdots+k_m]$. We see that each non-leaf vertex must appear in the interior (i.e. non-endpoint) of some walk and thus have two edges labeled with consecutive numbers, and hence have $\gcd$ of edge labels equal to one. $\blacksquare$
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dgrozev
2460 posts
#17 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
MathStudent2002 wrote:
...Now, if the walks have lengths $k_1, \ldots, k_m$, then label the first one with $[1, k_1]$ in order, the second one with $[k_1+1, k_1+k_2]$, etc., and the last one with $[k_1+\cdots+k_{m-1}+1, k_1+\cdots+k_m]$. We see that each non-leaf vertex must appear in the interior (i.e. non-endpoint) of some walk and thus have two edges labeled with consecutive numbers, and hence have $\gcd$ of edge labels equal to one. $\blacksquare$

What if the second walk, for example, begins and ends to one and the same vertex? So you assign $k_1+1$ and $k_1+k_2$ to those first and last edges and of course the may not be coprime.
I know it can be patched somehow, but then that idea of Euler cycles will lost its originality and it would be dissolved into something like in post #2.
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Pathological
578 posts
#18 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
I think what he/she is doing in the third paragraph is the following.

Let $v_1, v_2, \cdots, v_{2t}$ be the vertices of odd degree of $G$ (there's an even number of them by the Handshake Lemma, say). If $t = 0$, then simply take an Eulerian cycle and label the edges $1, 2, \cdots, k$ in order. Otherwise, we will add the edges $v_1v_2, v_3v_4, \cdots, v_{2t-1} v_{2t}.$ Let this modified graph be $G'.$ Note that this may result in the graph not being simple anymore, but that's fine since the problem still holds. Now, observe that $G'$ has all degree evens, and hence contains an Eulerian cycle. Then, it's clear that the removal of $v_1v_2, v_3v_4, \cdots, v_{2t-1} v_{2t}$ from the cycle would partition the cycle into walks from $v_2$ to $v_3$, from $v_4$ to $v_5$, $\cdots$, from $v_{2t}$ to $v_1.$ This makes it such that none of the walks can be cycles since the $v_i$'s are distinct, and so we finish as above.

Edit: Also, as far as I can tell, the idea in post #2 does not work, since it does not account for cycles (what if the walk ends at the same vertex it began with, and we label the edges $2, 3, 4$?). The solution in post #16, on the other hand, obviates the possibility of cycles using the odd degree trick.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Pathological, Jun 20, 2019, 11:12 PM
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SnowPanda
186 posts
#19 • 2 Y
Y by hakN, jelena_ivanchic
Solution
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vsamc
3788 posts
#20
Y by
Solution
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HamstPan38825
8857 posts
#21 • 1 Y
Y by chenghaohu
The idea here is that fixing two edges around a vertex essentially makes it work, so we can work greedily.

Call a vertex valid if we have labeled two edges through it with relatively prime indices. It suffices to make all vertices valid.

Consider the longest walk in $G$, and label the edges along this walk in the order $1, 2, \dots, k$ consecutively. By maximality of the walk, every vertex in the walk (including the endpoints) is now valid; now, consider the subgraph $G'$ formed by removing all edges and any leaves in the walk, and continue the process until all edges are exhausted.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by HamstPan38825, Aug 2, 2023, 3:05 PM
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thdnder
194 posts
#22 • 2 Y
Y by Upwgs_2008, taki09
An inductive solution.
Let $G = (V,E)$. We induct on $|V|$, assuming $|V| \geq 3$. Assume the problem statement is true on all connected graph with the number of vertices less than $|V|$. Since $G$ is connected, let $T$ be the spanning tree of $G$. Let $v$ be a leaf of $T$. Then $G-v$ is still connected, so by the induction hypothesis, we can label the edges of $G-v$ satisfying the problem condition. Let $\deg v = s$. Then if $s \geq 2$, $\gcd(k, k-1, \dots, k-s+1) = 1$ so labeling the remaining edges in arbitrary order will be satisfying the condition. Thus we're done.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by thdnder, Dec 29, 2023, 11:48 AM
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kamatadu
476 posts
#23 • 3 Y
Y by GeoKing, channing421, taki09
We induct with the base case being clearly true.

If $G$ has a cycle and the cycle is connected to some other component, then there is a vertex with $\ge 3$ degree.

Now remove an edge from this vertex thus breaking the cycle but the graph still remaining connected. Then by our induction hypothesis, we can get a number of the edges using $1,\ldots, k-1$.

Now, after removing the edge, we note taht the gcd of the vertex $=1$. So adding back the removed edge, the $\gcd$ would still be $=1$.

Now if the graph has only a cycle (i.e. $G$ has $k$ edges and $k$ vertices as shown below).
https://i.imgur.com/bslnMTq.png

Then we can just number the edges in an increasing order by $1$.

Otherwise, if $G$ is a tree, then also we can pick a path between the leaves of the tree and label the edges in a increasing order and also the subtrees in a similar increasing by $1$ order. It is easy to see that this works.
https://i.imgur.com/QCzuiz8.png
:yoda:
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lelouchvigeo
179 posts
#24 • 1 Y
Y by taki09
Sketch of the solution
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renrenthehamster
40 posts
#25 • 1 Y
Y by taki09
If you are familiar with depth first search (DFS) algorithm, simply perform depth-first search starting at any chosen root $v$ and label the edges in the order of discovery. Other than the root $v$, all other vertices with at least degree 2 must have a pair of consecutive integer labelled edges (when you first enter the vertex by an edge, you still have at least an undiscovered edge and DFS forces you to immediately discover one of your undiscovered edge).

The exception to this argument is the root, but the root has an edge with label 1. By the way this is why you need the graph to be connected - so that you only have 1 root to deal with.
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IMD2
41 posts
#26 • 1 Y
Y by taki09
thdnder wrote:
An inductive solution.
Let $G = (V,E)$. We induct on $|V|$, assuming $|V| \geq 3$. Assume the problem statement is true on all connected graph with the number of vertices less than $|V|$. Since $G$ is connected, let $T$ be the spanning tree of $G$. Let $v$ be a leaf of $T$. Then $G-v$ is still connected, so by the induction hypothesis, we can label the edges of $G-v$ satisfying the problem condition. Let $\deg v = s$. Then if $s \geq 2$, $\gcd(k, k-1, \dots, k-s+1) = 1$ so labeling the remaining edges in arbitrary order will be satisfying the condition. Thus we're done.

What if the vertex $s$ is connected to goes from degree 1 to degree 2 when you include $s$?
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Maximilian113
547 posts
#27
Y by
Call a vertex with degree at least $2$ "satisfied" if the labels of its adjacent edges have greatest common divisor $1.$

Consider the following algorithm:
For some $k$-cycle, assign the edges the $k$ largest available labels, in increasing order through one direction of the cycle. This ensures that we can remove the second-largest edge and both of its vertices will already have been satisfied. (as consecutive numbers are coprime)
Keep doing this until there are no cycles and the graph is a tree. Then each vertex with degree $1$ in this tree but with degree more than $1$ in the original graph is satisfied.
At this point if there are $r$ edges in this tree, we have the first $r$ numbers left as labels. For each vertice adjacent to a leaf, if it is adjacent to $\ell$ leaves assign their connections the $\ell$ largest available labels, and we can proceed inductively as this vertice will have been satisfied, and we are left with a smaller tree of the same scenario. QED
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