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Difficulty: 5/102022 IOQM 2022 (Q22)

A binary sequence is sequence in which each term is equal to 0 or 1. A binary sequence is called friendly if each term is adjacent to at least one term that is equal to 1. For example, the sequence 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1 is friendly. Let Fn denote the number of friendly binary sequences with terms. Find the smallest positive integer  2 such that Fn > 100.

Guide / Hint

Hint 1: Start by analyzing the initial conditions and setting up the basic equations. Let an = number of friendly sequences ending with 0.

Hint 2: Look for algebraic properties, symmetry, or geometric theorems to simplify. Bn = number of friendly sequences ending with 1.

Hint 3: Proceed with the final algebraic steps to solve the system. Fn = an + bn …(i)p.

Solution

Step 1: Let an = number of friendly sequences ending with 0

Step 2: Bn = number of friendly sequences ending with 1

Step 3: Fn = an + bn …(i)p

Step 4: Now, an + 1 = bn …(ii) (by adding 0 in the last)

Step 5: and bn + 1 = an + bn + an – 1 …(iii)

Step 6:  Fn = an + an+1 from equation (i) and equation (ii)

Step 7: and an+2 = an+1 + an + an–1 by (ii) and (iii)

Step 8:  a1 = 0, a2 = 1, a3 = 3

Step 9: So, a4 = 4, a5 = 5, a6 = 9, a7 = 16, a8 = 25, a9 = 39, a10 = 64 and a11 = 105 and so on.

Step 10: Clearly, we can see that F11 = 105.

Step 11: So, F11 > 100.

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