Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Singapore

Find the minimum value of
x13++xn3x1++xn \frac{x_1^3 + \cdots + x_n^3}{x_1 + \cdots + x_n}
where x1,x2,,xnx_1, x_2, \dots, x_n are distinct positive integers.

Solution

The minimum value 12n(n+1)\frac{1}{2}n(n+1) is achieved by letting xk=kx_k = k for 1kn1 \le k \le n. To prove the inequality, it suffices to prove that
x13++xn3(x1++xn)2, x_1^3 + \cdots + x_n^3 \ge (x_1 + \cdots + x_n)^2,
since x1++xn1+2++n=n(n+1)/2x_1 + \cdots + x_n \ge 1 + 2 + \cdots + n = n(n+1)/2.
We may assume that x1<x2<<xnx_1 < x_2 < \cdots < x_n. Let's prove the above inequality by induction on nn. It is clear that the inequality holds when n=1n=1. Let n>1n>1, and assume x13++xn3(x1++xn)2x_1^3 + \cdots + x_n^3 \ge (x_1 + \cdots + x_n)^2. Now
k=1nxk3(k=1nxk)2=[k=1n1xk3(k=1n1xk)2]+xn{xn2xn2k=1n1xk}. \sum_{k=1}^{n} x_k^3 - \left( \sum_{k=1}^{n} x_k \right)^2 = \left[ \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} x_k^3 - \left( \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} x_k \right)^2 \right] + x_n \left\{ x_n^2 - x_n - 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} x_k \right\}.
The induction hypothesis implies that the first bracket on the right hand side of this equality is nonnegative.
Next observe that xnnx_n \ge n. As xk<xk+1x_k < x_{k+1}, we have xkxk+11xn(nk)x_k \le x_{k+1} - 1 \le \cdots \le x_n - (n-k), when 1k<n1 \le k < n. Thus the term inside the second bracket on the right hand side of this equality satisfies
xn2xn2k=1n1xkxn2xn2k=1n1(xnn+k)=xn2xn2k=1n1xn+n(n1)xn2xn2(n1)xn+n(n1)=(xnn+1)(xnn)0 x_n^2 - x_n - 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} x_k \ge x_n^2 - x_n - 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} (x_n - n + k) = x_n^2 - x_n - 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} x_n + n(n-1) \\ \ge x_n^2 - x_n - 2(n-1)x_n + n(n-1) = (x_n - n + 1)(x_n - n) \ge 0

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