Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it United States

Problem:
Suppose one is given nn real numbers, not all zero, but such that their sum is zero. Prove that one can label these numbers a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n} in such a manner that
a1a2+a2a3++an1an+ana1<0. a_{1} a_{2}+a_{2} a_{3}+\cdots+a_{n-1} a_{n}+a_{n} a_{1}<0 .

Solution

Solution:
Let the given numbers (in an arbitrary order) be b1,b2,,bnb_{1}, b_{2}, \ldots, b_{n}. For every possible permutation π\pi of {1,2,,n}\{1,2, \ldots, n\}, consider the sum
bπ(1)bπ(2)+bπ(2)bπ(3)++bπ(n1)bπ(n)+bπ(n)bπ(1). b_{\pi(1)} b_{\pi(2)}+b_{\pi(2)} b_{\pi(3)}+\cdots+b_{\pi(n-1)} b_{\pi(n)}+b_{\pi(n)} b_{\pi(1)} .
We wish to show that some such sum is negative, so assume otherwise. For every two distinct elements i,j{1,,n}i, j \in\{1, \ldots, n\}, the term bibjb_{i} b_{j} appears NN times among these sums, where NN does not depend on i,ji, j, by symmetry. (In fact, one can show that N=n(n2)N=n(n-2) !.) Each such sum is assumed to be nonnegative; adding these inequalities for all permutations π\pi, and dividing by NN, we have
ijbibj0 \sum_{i \neq j} b_{i} b_{j} \geq 0
However, we also know that ibi2>0\sum_{i} b_{i}^{2}>0 (strictly, since not all bib_{i} are zero). Thus
(b1++bn)2=ibi2+ijbibj>0 \left(b_{1}+\cdots+b_{n}\right)^{2}=\sum_{i} b_{i}^{2}+\sum_{i \neq j} b_{i} b_{j}>0
But since b1++bn=0b_{1}+\cdots+b_{n}=0, we have a contradiction. So our assumption was false, and the needed negative sum does exist.

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