Consider a function . Prove that satisfies the inequality for any and any , if and only if the function defined by , for , is non-decreasing.
Romanian Mathematical Olympiad
Solution
The inequality , holds for all . Assume the function is monotonously increasing on . Then, based on the inequality above, we get
for all and all .
Conversely, assume , for all and all . One can check by induction
for all , and . Let , with .
Denote . For we have
It follows
therefore is monotonously increasing on .
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