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, 2025

Algebra Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it China

Let p1,p2,,p2025p_1, p_2, \dots, p_{2025} be real numbers, and let {an(1)}n0\{a_n^{(1)}\}_{n \ge 0}, {an(2)}n0\{a_n^{(2)}\}_{n \ge 0}, \dots, {an(2025)}n0\{a_n^{(2025)}\}_{n \ge 0} be 20252025 real sequences satisfying:
(1) a0(i)a_0^{(i)} (1i20251 \le i \le 2025) are all zero;
(2) a1(i)a_1^{(i)} (1i20251 \le i \le 2025) are not all zero;
(3) For i=1,2,,2025i = 1, 2, \dots, 2025 and any positive integer nn,
an1(i)+an(i)+an+1(i)=pian(i+1), a_{n-1}^{(i)} + a_n^{(i)} + a_{n+1}^{(i)} = p_i \cdot a_n^{(i+1)},
where an(2026)=an(1)a_n^{(2026)} = a_n^{(1)}.
Prove that there exists a positive real number rr and infinitely many positive integers nn such that
max{an(1),an(2),,an(2025)}>r. \max \{|a_n^{(1)}|, |a_n^{(2)}|, \dots, |a_n^{(2025)}|\} > r.

Solution

Proof: We first prove a lemma.
Lemma: Let β\beta be a complex number. If a sequence {an}\{a_n\} satisfies a0=0a_0 = 0, a10a_1 \ne 0, and for all n1n \ge 1,
an1+βan+an+1=0, a_{n-1} + \beta a_n + a_{n+1} = 0,
then {an}\{a_n\} does not converge to 00.
Proof of Lemma: Let α1,α2\alpha_1, \alpha_2 be roots of x2+βx+1=0x^2 + \beta x + 1 = 0, so α1α2=1\alpha_1\alpha_2 = 1.
If α1=α2\alpha_1 = \alpha_2, then α1=α2=±1\alpha_1 = \alpha_2 = \pm 1 and an=pn+qa_n = pn + q or an=(1)n(pn+q)a_n = (-1)^n(pn + q). Clearly ana_n doesn't converge to 00.
If α1α2\alpha_1 \ne \alpha_2, then an=pα1n+qα2na_n = p\alpha_1^n + q\alpha_2^n with p,qCp, q \in \mathbb{C} and pq0pq \ne 0 (since a0=0a_0 = 0, a10a_1 \ne 0).
Case 1: α1α2|\alpha_1| \ne |\alpha_2|. Then ana_n cannot converge to 00 since α1α2=1|\alpha_1||\alpha_2| = 1.
Case 2: α1=α2=1|\alpha_1| = |\alpha_2| = 1. Let α1=e2πiθ\alpha_1 = e^{2\pi i\theta}, α2=e2πiθ\alpha_2 = e^{-2\pi i\theta}.
If θQ\theta \in \mathbb{Q}, then {an}\{a_n\} is periodic and non-zero.
If θQ\theta \notin \mathbb{Q}, then {nθ}\{n\theta\} is dense modulo 11, making {an}\{a_n\} have values dense on some circle.
In all cases, ana_n doesn't converge to 00. \square
Now the main proof. Denote the given equations as (1),,(2025)(*1), \cdots, (*_{2025}).
Case 1: i=12025pi0\prod_{i=1}^{2025} p_i \ne 0.
Define transformed sequences:
bn(i)=pi+1pi+2pi+20242025an(i) b_n^{(i)} = \sqrt[2025]{p_{i+1} p_{i+2} \cdots p_{i+2024}} \cdot a_n^{(i)}
where indices are cyclic modulo 20252025. These satisfy:
bn1(i)+bn(i)+bn+1(i)=p1p20252025bn(i+1). b_{n-1}^{(i)} + b_n^{(i)} + b_{n+1}^{(i)} = \sqrt[2025]{p_1 \cdots p_{2025}} \cdot b_n^{(i+1)}.
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Thus we may assume p1==p2025=pp_1 = \cdots = p_{2025} = p. Let ω\omega be a 20252025th root of unity and define:
Xn:=k=02024ωkan(k+1). X_n := \sum_{k=0}^{2024} \omega^k a_n^{(k+1)}.
Then:
n1,Xn1+(1ω1p)Xn+Xn+1=0. \forall n \ge 1, \quad X_{n-1} + (1 - \omega^{-1}p)X_n + X_{n+1} = 0.
Since not all a1(i)=0a_1^{(i)} = 0, some X10X_1 \ne 0. By the lemma, {Xn}\{X_n\} doesn't converge to 00.
Case 2: If there exists some pi=0p_i = 0. Without loss of generality, assume p1=0p_1 = 0. Then from ()1(*)_1 we know that for any n1n \ge 1 we have an1(1)+an(1)+an+1(1)=0a_{n-1}^{(1)} + a_n^{(1)} + a_{n+1}^{(1)} = 0.
If a1(1)0a_1^{(1)} \ne 0, applying the lemma to the sequence {an(1)}\{a_n^{(1)}\} shows that {an(1)}\{a_n^{(1)}\} does not converge to 00.
If a1(1)=0a_1^{(1)} = 0, then an(1)0a_n^{(1)} \equiv 0. Consequently, from ()2025(*)_{2025} we know that for any n1n \ge 1 we have an1(2025)+an(2025)+an+1(2025)=0a_{n-1}^{(2025)} + a_n^{(2025)} + a_{n+1}^{(2025)} = 0.
In this case, if a1(2025)0a_1^{(2025)} \ne 0, we can apply the lemma to the sequence {an(2025)}n0\{a_n^{(2025)}\}_{n \ge 0}. If a1(2025)=0a_1^{(2025)} = 0 then an(2025)0a_n^{(2025)} \equiv 0, and similarly we obtain an1(2024)+an(2024)+an+1(2024)=0a_{n-1}^{(2024)} + a_n^{(2024)} + a_{n+1}^{(2024)} = 0. Continuing this process, by induction we can prove that either all sequences in the problem are identically zero, or there exists at least one sequence that does not converge to 00. The former case contradicts the problem's assumptions, thus completing the proof. \square

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