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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Croatia

Let n2n \ge 2 be a positive integer and x1,x2,,xnx_1, x_2, \dots, x_n real numbers (xi0x_i \ne 0, for i=1,2,,ni=1, 2, \dots, n) such that x1+x2++xn=0x_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_n = 0. Prove that there exist distinct positive integers ii and jj (i,jni, j \le n) such that
12xixj2. \frac{1}{2} \le \left| \frac{x_i}{x_j} \right| \le 2.

Solution

If there are two equal numbers between the given numbers, we can choose those two. So we assume that all the numbers are distinct and without loss of generality we assume that x1>x2>>xnx_1 > x_2 > \dots > x_n. Since the total sum of the numbers is zero there exists a positive integer kk (1<k<n1 < k < n) such that xk>0>xk+1x_k > 0 > x_{k+1}. We have:
x1+x2++xk=xk+1+xk+2++xn. |x_1| + |x_2| + \dots + |x_k| = |x_{k+1}| + |x_{k+2}| + \dots + |x_n|.
Now we assume that there do not exist ii and jj with the required property. For i=1,2,,k1i = 1, 2, \dots, k-1 we have:
xixi+1>1>12, \frac{|x_i|}{|x_{i+1}|} > 1 > \frac{1}{2},
and hence:
xixi+1>2. \frac{x_i}{x_{i+1}} > 2.
It follows that:
xi<12xi1<122xi2<<12ix1, for i=1,2,,k1. x_i < \frac{1}{2}x_{i-1} < \frac{1}{2^2}x_{i-2} < \dots < \frac{1}{2^i}x_1, \text{ for } i = 1, 2, \dots, k-1.
Similarly, we prove that for negative numbers the following inequalities hold:
xj<12njxn, for j=k,k+1,,n. |x_j| < \frac{1}{2^{n-j}}|x_n|, \text{ for } j = k, k+1, \dots, n.
Finally, we have:
x1<x1+x2++xk=xk+1+xk+2++xn<xn(1+12+14++12nk+1)<2xn. \begin{aligned} |x_1| &< |x_1| + |x_2| + \dots + |x_k| = |x_{k+1}| + |x_{k+2}| + \dots + |x_n| \\ &< |x_n| \left( 1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4} + \dots + \frac{1}{2^{n-k+1}} \right) < 2|x_n|. \end{aligned}
Analogously, we get:
xn<xk+xk+1++xn=x1+x2++xk<x1(1+12+14++12k)<2x1. \begin{aligned} |x_n| &< |x_k| + |x_{k+1}| + \dots + |x_n| = |x_1| + |x_2| + \dots + |x_k| \\ &< |x_1| \left( 1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4} + \dots + \frac{1}{2^k} \right) < 2|x_1|. \end{aligned}
Therefore 12x1xn2\frac{1}{2} \le \left|\frac{x_1}{x_n}\right| \le 2.

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