A permutation with a special property question

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a mathematical problem involving a permutation of the set {1, 2, ..., 2n} with a specific property regarding the absolute differences between consecutive elements. The key question is whether, under the condition that |a_{i} - a_{i+1}| is unique for different pairs, it can be shown that a_{1} equals a_{2n} plus n, given that the even-indexed elements fall within the range of 1 to n. Participants express difficulty in proving this assertion and seek insights or alternative approaches to tackle the problem. The conversation highlights the complexity of the proof and the need for a deeper exploration of the properties of permutations. Engaging with this question could lead to interesting mathematical discoveries.
Hells_Kitchen
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Hi there,
i was wondering if you had any thoughts on the following question:

Let (a_{1}, a_{2}, ..., a_{2n}) be a permutation of {1, 2, ..., 2n} so that |a_{i} - a_{i+1}| \neq |a_{j} - a_{j+1}|, whenever i \neq j.

Show that a_{1} = a_{2n} + n, if 1 \leq a_{2i} \leq n for i = 1,2, ..., n
 
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still no ideas??
 
According to my calculations (proof) it's not possible.. Try proving this..
 
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