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Let nn be any natural number such that 5n−1<3n+15^{n-1} < 3^{n+1}. Then, the least integer value of m that satisfies 3n+1<2n+m3^{n+1} < 2^{n+m} for each such nn, is

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Solution

✅ Correct Answer: 5

We need to find the range of natural numbers nn that satisfy the first condition, then determine the minimum value of mm for the second condition.

Let us check which natural numbers satisfy 5n−1<3n+15^{n-1} < 3^{n+1} by testing different values:

For n=1n = 1: 50<325^0 < 3^2 → 1<91 < 9 (true)

For n=2n = 2: 51<335^1 < 3^3 → 5<275 < 27 (true)

For n=3n = 3: 52<345^2 < 3^4 → 25<8125 < 81 (true)

For n=4n = 4: 53<355^3 < 3^5 → 125<243125 < 243 (true)

For n=5n = 5: 54<365^4 < 3^6 → 625<729625 < 729 (true)

For n=6n = 6: 55<375^5 < 3^7 → 3125<21873125 < 2187 (false)

As nn increases, 5n−15^{n-1} grows faster than 3n+13^{n+1} because the base 5 is larger than 3. Eventually, the exponential with base 5 will overtake the one with base 3.

Therefore, nn can be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.


Now we need 3n+1<2n+m3^{n+1} < 2^{n+m} to hold for all valid values of nn (that's what "for each such nn" means).

Since we need this inequality to work for ALL valid nn values, we should focus on the most restrictive case - the largest value of nn.

The largest valid nn is 5, so let us use n=5n = 5:

35+1<25+m3^{5+1} < 2^{5+m}

36<25+m3^6 < 2^{5+m}

729<25+m729 < 2^{5+m}


We need to find the smallest integer mm such that 25+m>7292^{5+m} > 729.

Let us check powers of 2:

29=512<7292^9 = 512 < 729 (not enough)

210=1024>7292^{10} = 1024 > 729 (sufficient)

So we need 5+m≥105 + m \geq 10, which gives m≥5m \geq 5.


Let us check that m=5m = 5 works for all other values of nn:

For n=1n = 1: 32<21+53^2 < 2^{1+5} → 9<649 < 64 (true)

For n=2n = 2: 33<22+53^3 < 2^{2+5} → 27<12827 < 128 (true)

For n=3n = 3: 34<23+53^4 < 2^{3+5} → 81<25681 < 256 (true)

For n=4n = 4: 35<24+53^5 < 2^{4+5} → 243<512243 < 512 (true)

All inequalities hold.

Therefore, the least integer value of mm is 5.

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