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IMO Hk TST

Algebra Difficulty 7.3 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Hong Kong

Suppose a1=4a_1 = 4 and an+1≥an+n+2a_{n+1} \ge a_n + n + 2 for all natural numbers nn. Show that
1a1+1a2+⋯+1a2010<32. \frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_{2010}} < \frac{3}{2}.

Solution

Adding the inequalities
an≥an−1+n+1,an−1≥an−2+n,⋮,a2≥a1+3, \begin{align*} a_n &\ge a_{n-1} + n + 1, \\ a_{n-1} &\ge a_{n-2} + n, \\ &\vdots, \\ a_2 &\ge a_1 + 3, \end{align*}
we obtain an≥a1+(3+4+⋯+(n+1))=n2+3n+42>(n+1)(n+2)2a_n \ge a_1 + (3+4+\cdots+(n+1)) = \frac{n^2+3n+4}{2} > \frac{(n+1)(n+2)}{2}. It follows
that
∑n=120101an<∑n=1∞2(n+1)(n+2)=2∑n=1∞(1n+1−1n+2)=2⋅12=1<32. \sum_{n=1}^{2010} \frac{1}{a_n} < \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{2}{(n+1)(n+2)} = 2 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left( \frac{1}{n+1} - \frac{1}{n+2} \right) = 2 \cdot \frac{1}{2} = 1 < \frac{3}{2}.

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