TITLE: Showing $\prod\limits_{i<j} \frac{x_i-x_j}{i-j}$ is an integer
QUESTION [27 upvotes]: Let $x_1,...,x_n$ be distinct integers. Prove that
$$\prod_{i<j} \frac{x_i-x_j}{i-j}\in \mathbb Z$$ 
I know there is a solution using determinant of a matrix, but I can't remember it now. Any help will be appreciated.

REPLY [7 votes]: Here's a very direct approach.  For each prime up to $n-1$, we just need to check that 
$$ \text{val}_p\left( \prod_{i<j}(i-j)\right) \leq \text{val}_p\left( \prod_{i<j}(x_i-x_j) \right) $$
for any choice of integers $x_i$.  (Here, the $p$-adic valuation $\text{val}_p(x)$ simply counts the powers of $p$ that divide $x$.)  That is, we need to show that choosing $x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n$ to be $1, 2, \ldots, n$ gives the smallest $p$-adic valuation possible.  
To do this, notice that setting $x_i=i$ gives the minimum possible number of pairs $(i,j)$ such that $x_i-x_j$ is divisible by $p$ (or divisible by $p^2$, or by $p^3$, or any $p^k<n$ ).  This is because the numbers $1, 2, \ldots, n$ are as evenly spread out among the residue classes modulo $p^k$ as possible.  By the Pigeonhole principle, any other choice of integers $x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n$ will have at least as many repeated residue classes, and an uneven distribution leads to a greater total number of pairs $(x_i,x_j)$ from the same residue class.  (Because of the inequality of triangular numbers $T_{n+i}+T_{n-i}  \geq 2T_{n}$.)
Thus, $\displaystyle \prod_{i<j} \frac{x_i-x_j}{i-j}$ is an integer, because there are at least as many powers of $p$ on top as there are on the bottom for each prime $p$.