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USA Mathematical Talent Search Solutions To Problem 4/4/18: Valid Valid Invalid: Loop Invalid: Not Connected

1) The document describes a problem involving finding the number of valid connections (Tn) of nodes in a 2xN array, where nodes can be connected by horizontal and vertical 1-unit edges without loops. 2) A recursive formula is derived for Tn+1 in terms of Tn, Tn-1, etc., which is then simplified to a simpler recurrence relation of Tn+2 = 4Tn+1 - Tn. 3) Using the recurrence relation and initial values, T10 is calculated to be 151316.

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222 views2 pages

USA Mathematical Talent Search Solutions To Problem 4/4/18: Valid Valid Invalid: Loop Invalid: Not Connected

1) The document describes a problem involving finding the number of valid connections (Tn) of nodes in a 2xN array, where nodes can be connected by horizontal and vertical 1-unit edges without loops. 2) A recursive formula is derived for Tn+1 in terms of Tn, Tn-1, etc., which is then simplified to a simpler recurrence relation of Tn+2 = 4Tn+1 - Tn. 3) Using the recurrence relation and initial values, T10 is calculated to be 151316.

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USA Mathematical Talent Search

Solutions to Problem 4/4/18


www.usamts.org

4/4/18. We are given a 2 n array of nodes, where n is a positive integer. A valid


connection of the array is the addition of 1-unit-long horizontal and vertical edges between
nodes, such that each node is connected to every other node via the edges, and there are no
loops of any size. We give some examples for n = 3:

Valid Valid Invalid: loop Invalid: not connected

Let Tn denote the number of valid connections of the 2 n array. Find T10 .
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Credit This problem was proposed by Naoki Sato.

Comments By constructing valid connections on a 2 n array from smaller arrays, we can


obtain a recursive formula for Tn . Solutions edited by Naoki Sato.

Solution 1 by: Drew Haven (11/CA)

It is trivial to note that T1 = 1 because there is only one way to connect two nodes. Let
us compute Tn+1 from Tn . Given any valid connection of 2 n nodes, adding two nodes to
the right gives an array of size 2 (n + 1). The additional two nodes may be connected in
one of three ways:

... , ... , ...

None of these result in any loops. This gives a total of 3Tn valid connections.
However, it is possible that a valid connection on a 2 (n + 1) array does not contain
a valid connection in its leftmost 2 n nodes. Let us consider the case where the leftmost
2 (n 1) nodes form a valid connection, but the leftmost 2 n nodes do not. There are two
different ways to connect the nodes on the right to make a valid connection on a 2 (n + 1)
array:

... , ...

This adds 2Tn1 ways to the total count. Similarly, if only the leftmost 2 (n 2) nodes
make a valid connection, there are 2Tn2 ways:

... , ...
USA Mathematical Talent Search
Solutions to Problem 4/4/18
www.usamts.org

Likewise, there are 2Tk ways for each k < n that come from the leftmost 2 k nodes
forming a valid connection. The last case to consider is the case when the leftmost two nodes
are not connected, and there are no valid connections of any 2 k leftmost subarray up to
k = n. There is only one such valid connection:

...

Summing these ways gives a formula for Tn+1 :


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Tn+1 = 3Tn + 2Tn1 + 2Tn2 + + 2T1 + 1. (1)

To find a simpler recurrence, we subtract


Tn = 3Tn1 + 2Tn2 + + 2T1 + 1
from this to give
Tn+1 Tn = (3Tn + 2Tn1 + 2Tn2 + + 2T1 + 1)
(3Tn1 + 2Tn2 + + 2T1 + 1)
= 3Tn Tn1
Tn+1 = 4Tn Tn1 ,
which can be rewritten as
Tn+2 = 4Tn+1 Tn . (2)

From (1), T2 = 3T1 + 1 = 4. Then from (2),


T3 = 4 4 1 = 15,
T4 = 4 15 4 = 56,
T5 = 4 56 15 = 209,
T6 = 4 209 56 = 780,
T7 = 4 780 209 = 2911,
T8 = 4 2911 780 = 10864,
T9 = 4 10864 2911 = 40545,
T10 = 4 40545 10864 = 151316.

As a side note, an explicit formula for Tn can be found using generating functions:

(2 + 3)n (2 3)n
Tn = . (3)
2 3
Substituting 10 for n here gives the same answer, T10 = 151316.

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