Greatest integer function
October 12, 2022
1 Definition
For a real number x there is a unique integer n such that n ≤ x < n + 1. We
say that n is the greatest integer less than or equal to x, or the floor of x.
The difference x − [x] is called the fractional part of x and is denoted by {x}.
1.1 Properties
1. Following 3 statements are equivalent
a) x ∈ Z
b) [x] = x
c) {x} = 0
2. 0 ≤ {x} < 1
3. [x] ≤ x < [x] + 1
4. x − 1 ≤ [x] ≤ x and 0 ≤ x − [x] = {x} < 1
5. [x + m] = [x] + m iff m is an integer.
6. [x] + [y] ≤ [x + y] ≤ [x] + [y] + 1
(
[x] + [y] if {x} +{y} <1
7. [x + y] =
[x] + [y] + 1 if {x} +{y} ≥1
1
(
0 if x ∈ Z
8. [x] + [−x] =
−1 otherwise
(
− [x] if x ∈ Z
∴ [−x] =
−1 − [x] otherwise
9. For n, a ∈
nZ , the number of integers divisible by a, less than n will be
+
equal to a .
10. (Hermit Identity) Let
x bea real number and let n be a positive integer.
Then [x] + x + n1 + x + n2 + ... + x + n−1
n = [nx].
1.2 Legendre’s Function
Let p be a prime. For any positive integer n, let ep (n) be the exponent of p in
the prime factorization of n!. The arithmetic function ep is called the Legendre
function associated with the prime p.
h i h i h i ∞ h i
ep (n) = np + pn2 + pn3 + ... = pi .
n
P
i=1
Problem solving strategies
• x = n + f and 0 ≤ f < 1
• Do not forget to check whether the values of f you got lies between [0, 1)
• [x] = n =⇒ n ≤ x < n + 1
• Condition on {x} like in problem Solve for real x: 1
[x] + 1
[2x] = (9x) + 1,.
Cases depends on f < 21 or f ≥ 12
• Use estimation
√
• If b nc = k then , take n = k 2 + c
2 Problem set
1. Let s and t be positive integers such that 7s ||400! and 3t ||((3!)!)!. Compute
s + t.
2. [HMMT 2003] Find the smallest n such that n! ends in 290 zeros.
3. [Australia 1999] Solve the following system of equations:
x + [y] + {z} = 200.0
{x} + y + [z] = 190.1
[x] + {y} + z = 178.80
2
4. Solve the equation x2 − 12 [x] + 20 = 0.
5. Find all solutions to 4x2 − 40 [x] + 51 = 0
6. Find the number of integers 0 < x < 1000 such that 30 .
x x x 31x
2 + 3 + 5 =
7. (SSSMO/2002) Determine the number of real solutions of
j x k 2x
+ =x
2 3
h 93 k
8. (CHNMOL/1993) Find the last two digits of the number 1010 31 +3 (Write
down the tens digit first, then write down the units digit).
9. Suppose that r ∈ R for which r + 100 19 20 91
+ r + 100 + ... + r + 100 = 546.
Find [100r]
3 Past Olympiad Questions
1. (PreRMO 2012) How many non-negative integral values of x satisfy the
equation
hxi hxi
= ?
5 7
Where [x] denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to x .
2. (RMO 2001)Find
x the
number of positive integers x which satisfy the con-
dition 99
x
(Here [z] denotes, for any real z, the largest integer
= 101
not exceeding z; e.g. [7/4] = 1.)
3. (PreRMO 2012) What is the sum of squares of roots of the equation
x2 − 7 [x] + 5 = 0?
Where [x] denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to x .
4. (PreRMO 2017)Suppose x is a positive real number such that {x} , [x] and
x are in a geometric progression. Find the least positive integer n such
that xn > 100. (Here [x] denotes the integer part of x and {x} = x − [x])
5. (PreRMO 2019 P1)What is the greatest integer not exceeding the sum
1599
P 1
√ ?
n=1 n
√
6. (PreRMO 2019 P1) Consider the sequence of numbers [n + 2n + 21 ] for
where [x] denotes the greatest integer not exceeding x. If the missing
integers in the sequence are n1 < n2 < · · ·then find n12 .
3
7. (PreRMO 2019 P2) For any real number x, let bxc denote the integer part
of x; {x} be the fractional part of x ({x} = x− bxc). Let A denote the
set of all real numbers x satisfying
x + bxc + bx + (1/2)c
{x} =
20
If S is the sum of all numbers in A, find bSc
8. (RMO 1997)Solve for real x: [x]1 1
+ [2x] = (9x) + 1, where [x] is the greatest
integer less than or equal to x and (x) = x − [x], [e.g. [3.4] = 3 and
(3.4) = 0.4].
9. (RMO2010)For each integer n ≥ 1 define an = √nn (where [x] denoted
[ ]
the largest integer not exceeding x, for any real number x). Find the
number of all n in the set {1, 2, 3, · · · , 2010} for which an > an+1
10. (PreRMO 2022) For any real number t, let [t] denote the largest integer
≤ t. Suppose that N is the greatest integer such that
rq
√
[ [ [ N]]] = 4
Find the sum of digits of N .
∞ h i
x+2k
11. (IMO 1968) Let x ∈ R . Prove that
P
2k+1
= [x].
k=0
(Hermit Identity) Let
x bea real number and let n be a positive integer.
Then [x] + x + n1 + x + n2 + ... + x + n−1
n = [nx].
Answers
1. 422
2. 1170
3. x = 94.65 ,y = 105.45. ,and z = 84.35.
√ √ √ √
4. 2, 76 = 2 19, 88 = 2 22, 10
√ √ √ √
5. 12 29, 12 189, 12 229, 21 269
6. 06
7. 08
4
Past Olympiad Questions
1. 10
2. 2499
3. 92
4. 10
5. 78
6. 78
7. 21
8. x = 1 + f where f = 1 3 5 7 16 19 22 25
18 , 18 , 18 , 18 , 27 , 27 , 27 , 27
9. 43
10. 24
