Interesting fractions
Source: 44th International Tournament of Towns, Senior A-Level P5, Spring 2023
April 4, 2023
number theoryFractions
Problem Statement
Given an integer . Let's call a positive common fraction (not necessarily irreducible) good if the sum of its numerator and denominator is equal to . Let's say that a number is remarkable if every positive common fraction whose denominator is less than can be expressed in terms of good fractions (not necessarily various) using the operations of addition and subtraction.
Prove that is remarkable if and only if it is prime.
(Recall that an common fraction has an integer numerator and a natural denominator.)