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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Italy

Problem:

For every integer n2n \geq 2, determine:

a. the largest real number cnc_{n} such that
11+a1+11+a2++11+ancn \frac{1}{1+a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+a_{n}} \geq c_{n}
for every choice of positive real numbers a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n} such that a1a2an=1a_{1} \cdot a_{2} \cdot \ldots \cdot a_{n}=1;

b. the largest real number dnd_{n} such that
11+2a1+11+2a2++11+2andn \frac{1}{1+2 a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{n}} \geq d_{n}
for every choice of positive real numbers a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n} such that a1a2an=1a_{1} \cdot a_{2} \cdot \ldots \cdot a_{n}=1.

Solution

Solution:

(a) cn=1c_{n}=1 for every n2n \geq 2.
Let us first show that for every n2n \geq 2 one has
11+a1+11+a2++11+an1 \frac{1}{1+a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+a_{n}} \geq 1
For n=2n=2, setting a1=aa_{1}=a we have a2=1aa_{2}=\frac{1}{a} and the expression on the left-hand side of the inequality reduces to
11+a+11+1a=11+a+a1+a=1 \frac{1}{1+a}+\frac{1}{1+\frac{1}{a}}=\frac{1}{1+a}+\frac{a}{1+a}=1
Now suppose n>2n>2. The product of the two smallest among a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} is certainly less than or equal to 1, otherwise at least one of them would be greater than 1 and hence the product a1a2ana_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n} would be greater than 1. Without loss of generality, we may assume that a1a21a_{1} a_{2} \leq 1. Let x=1a1a2x=\sqrt{\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2}}}. Then x1x \geq 1 and (a1x)(a2x)=1(a_{1} x)(a_{2} x)=1. We have
11+a1+11+a2++11+an>11+a1+11+a211+a1x+11+a2x=1 \frac{1}{1+a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+a_{n}}>\frac{1}{1+a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2}} \geq \frac{1}{1+a_{1} x}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2} x}=1
Let us now show that 1 is the largest real number that can be placed on the right-hand side of the inequality, that is, that if c>1c>1 the inequality fails for some choice of a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n}. Set a1=a2==an1=ya_{1}=a_{2}=\cdots=a_{n-1}=y, where yy is any positive real number such that y+1>n1c1y+1>\frac{n-1}{c-1}, and an=y(n1)a_{n}=y^{-(n-1)}. We have, for i=1,,n1i=1, \ldots, n-1,
11+ai=11+y<c1n1 \frac{1}{1+a_{i}}=\frac{1}{1+y}<\frac{c-1}{n-1}
and hence
(11+a1+11+a2++11+an1)+11+an<(n1)c1n1+1=c. \left(\frac{1}{1+a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+a_{n-1}}\right)+\frac{1}{1+a_{n}}<(n-1) \frac{c-1}{n-1}+1=c .

(b) One has d2=23d_{2}=\frac{2}{3} and dn=1d_{n}=1 for every n3n \geq 3.
Let us begin with the case n=2n=2. Setting s=a1+a2s=a_{1}+a_{2} and taking into account that a1a2=1a_{1} a_{2}=1, the term on the left-hand side of the inequality becomes
2+2s5+2s=135+2s \frac{2+2 s}{5+2 s}=1-\frac{3}{5+2 s}
This term attains its minimum value when ss is minimal. Since a2=1a1a_{2}=\frac{1}{a_{1}}, we have s=a1+1a1s=a_{1}+\frac{1}{a_{1}} is greater than or equal to 2, and it equals 2 if and only if a1=1a_{1}=1. Hence the best possible inequality is obtained for s=2s=2, giving the value d2=23d_{2}=\frac{2}{3}.
The rest of the proof is analogous to the previous case. Let us first show that dn1d_{n} \geq 1 for every n3n \geq 3. For n=3n=3, the inequality
11+2a1+11+2a2+11+2a31 \frac{1}{1+2 a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{3}} \geq 1
is equivalent to
3+4(a1+a2+a3)+4(a1a2+a2a3+a3a1)1+2(a1+a2+a3)+4(a1a2+a2a3+a3a1)+8a1a2a3, 3+4\left(a_{1}+a_{2}+a_{3}\right)+4\left(a_{1} a_{2}+a_{2} a_{3}+a_{3} a_{1}\right) \geq 1+2\left(a_{1}+a_{2}+a_{3}\right)+4\left(a_{1} a_{2}+a_{2} a_{3}+a_{3} a_{1}\right)+8 a_{1} a_{2} a_{3},
that is,
a1+a2+a3822=3 a_{1}+a_{2}+a_{3} \geq \frac{8-2}{2}=3
which holds by the well-known inequality between arithmetic mean and geometric mean.
Now suppose n>3n>3. As before, we may assume that a1a2a31a_{1} a_{2} a_{3} \leq 1 and define x=1a1a2a3x=\sqrt{\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} a_{3}}}. We have (a1x)(a2x)(a3x)=1(a_{1} x)(a_{2} x)(a_{3} x)=1 and hence
11+2a1+11+2a2+11+2a3++11+2an>11+2a1+11+2a2+11+2a311+2a1x+11+2a2x+11+2a3x1. \begin{aligned} & \frac{1}{1+2 a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{3}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{n}}>\frac{1}{1+2 a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{3}} \\ & \geq \frac{1}{1+2 a_{1} x}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2} x}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{3} x} \geq 1 . \end{aligned}
Finally, if dd is any number greater than 1, set a1=a2==an1=za_{1}=a_{2}=\cdots=a_{n-1}=z where zz is any positive real number such that 2z+1>d1n12 z+1>\frac{d-1}{n-1}, and an=z(n1)a_{n}=z^{-(n-1)}. We have

(11+2a1+11+2a2++11+2an1)+11+2an<(n1)d1n1+1=d\left(\frac{1}{1+2 a_{1}}+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{2}}+\ldots+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{n-1}}\right)+\frac{1}{1+2 a_{n}}<(n-1) \frac{d-1}{n-1}+1=d .

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from it; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.