A positive integers has exactly $81$ divisors, which are located in a $9 \times 9$ table such that for any two numbers in the same row or column one of them is divisible by the other one. Find the maximum possible number of distinct prime divisors of $n$
Problem
Source: Belarusian olympiad 2023
Tags: combinatorics, number theory
14.05.2024 12:32
Answer: $2$. Example: $n=p^8q^8$ and there is $p^{i-1}q^{j-1}$ in $i.$ column $j.$ row. $$ \begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline 1&p&p^2&p^3&p^4&p^5&p^6&p^7&p^8 \\\hline q&pq&p^2q&p^3q&p^4q&p^5q&p^6q&p^7q&p^8q \\\hline q^2&pq^2&p^2q^2&.&.&.&.&.&. \\\hline q^3&pq^3&.&p^3q^3&.&.&.&.&. \\\hline q^4&pq^4&.&.&p^4q^4&.&.&.&. \\\hline q^5&pq^5&.&.&.&p^5q^5&.&.&. \\\hline q^6&pq^6&.&.&.&.&p^6q^6&.&. \\\hline q^7&pq^7&.&.&.&.&.&p^7q^7&. \\\hline q^8&pq^8&.&.&.&.&.&.&p^8q^8 \\\hline \end{array} $$ Proof: If $p|n,$ then $v_p(n)\in \{2,8,80\}$. Hence $n$ has at most $4$ prime divisors. If $n$ has $4$ prime divisors, then call them $p,q,r,s$. $p^2q^2$ exists in some square which is in the same row or column with $16$ other numbers. The numbers which divide $p^2q^2$ and not equal to $p^2q^2$ are $\{1,p,p^2,q,q^2,pq,p^2q,pq^2\}$. The numbers which can be divided by $p^2q^2$ and not equal to $p^2q^2$ are $\{p^2q^2r,p^2q^2r^2,p^2q^2s,p^2q^2s^2,p^2q^2rs,p^2q^2r^2s,p^2q^2rs^2,p^2q^2r^2s^2\}$. There exist $16$ numbers in these sets thus all numbers in these sets must be in the same row or column with $p^2q^2$. But any pair in the set $\{p^2,q^2,pq\}$ must be in different row and columns which gives a contradiction. If $n$ has $3$ prime divisors, call them $p,q,r$. WLOG $v_p(n)=8,v_q(n)=2,v_r(n)=2$. $p^8$ exists in some square. It's in the same row or column with $16$ other numbers. The divisors of $n$ which divide $p^8$ and different from it are $\{1,p,p^2,p^3,p^4,p^5,p^6,p^7\}$ and the divisors of $n$ which can be divided by $p^8$ and different from it are $\{p^8q,p^8q^2,p^8r,p^8r^2,p^8qr,p^8q^2r,p^8qr^2,p^8q^2r^2\}$. There are $16$ numbers in these sets thus all of them must be in the same row or column with $p^8$. But all pairs in the set $\{p^8q^2,p^8r^2,p^8qr\}$ must be in different rows and columns which gives a contradiction. So $n$ has at most $2$ prime divisors as desired.$\blacksquare$