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Algebra Difficulty 7.1 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ireland

A sequence of real numbers (xn)n=0(x_n)_{n=0}^{\infty} is concave if
xnxn1+xn+12,for all nN. x_n \ge \frac{x_{n-1} + x_{n+1}}{2}, \quad \text{for all } n \in \mathbb{N}.
Given two sequences of real numbers (an)n=0(a_n)_{n=0}^{\infty} and (bn)n=0(b_n)_{n=0}^{\infty}, we define a new sequence (cn)n=0(c_n)_{n=0}^{\infty} by:
cn=max{ai+bni0in},n0. c_n = \max\{a_i + b_{n-i} \mid 0 \le i \le n\}, \quad n \ge 0.
Show that if (an)n=0(a_n)_{n=0}^{\infty} and (bn)n=0(b_n)_{n=0}^{\infty} are concave, then so is (cn)n=0(c_n)_{n=0}^{\infty}.

Solution

We claim that concavity of (an)(a_n) implies that
ai+aj2a(i+j)/2,for all non-negative i,jZ,(31) a_i + a_j \le 2a_{(i+j)/2}, \quad \text{for all non-negative } i, j \in \mathbb{Z}, \qquad (31)
where ara_r is defined for rr halfway between two integers as follows:
an1/2:=an1+an2for all nN.(32) a_{n-1/2} := \frac{a_{n-1} + a_n}{2} \quad \text{for all } n \in \mathbb{N}. \qquad (32)

Because of its symmetry, it suffices to prove (31) when iji \le j. Writing d=jid = j-i and m=(i+j)/2m = (i+j)/2, we are required to prove
amd/2+am+d/22am,(34) a_{m-d/2} + a_{m+d/2} \le 2a_m, \qquad (34)
where mm and dd can take on any values allowed by their definition in terms of i,ji, j; in particular, mm is an integer if and only if dd is even so that m±d/2m \pm d/2 are always integers in (34).

We proof (34) by induction. It is trivially true if d=0d = 0, it follows from (33) if d=1d = 1, and from the assumed concavity if d=2d = 2. Suppose inductively that (34) holds for all d<pd < p for some integer p3p \ge 3 (and all valid associated values of mm). We then need to prove it for d=pd = p. There are two cases to consider.

Case 1. p=2qp = 2q is even (and so mm is an integer). We need to prove
amq+am+q2am. a_{m-q} + a_{m+q} \le 2a_m.
We use the assumption (34) for d=q<pd = q < p and replace mm by m±q/2m \pm q/2 to get
amq+am2amq/2andam+am+q2am+q/2. a_{m-q} + a_m \le 2a_{m-q/2} \quad \text{and} \quad a_m + a_{m+q} \le 2a_{m+q/2}.
Adding and rearranging gives
amq+am+q2amq/2+2am+q/22am.(35) a_{m-q} + a_{m+q} \le 2a_{m-q/2} + 2a_{m+q/2} - 2a_m. \quad (35)
If qq is even, we use (34) with d=qd = q to get amq/2+am+q/22ama_{m-q/2} + a_{m+q/2} \le 2a_m which implies the required inequality.
If q=2t+1q = 2t + 1 is odd, we use (34) with d=2td = 2t and d=2t+2<4t+2=pd = 2t + 2 < 4t + 2 = p. Note that t>0t > 0 because p>2p > 2. We get
amt+am+t2amandamt1+am+t+12am. a_{m-t} + a_{m+t} \le 2a_m \quad \text{and} \quad a_{m-t-1} + a_{m+t+1} \le 2a_m.
Together with definition (32) this gives
amq/2+am+q/2=amt1/2+am+t+1/2=12(amt1+amt+am+t+am+t+1)2am \begin{aligned} a_{m-q/2} + a_{m+q/2} &= a_{m-t-1/2} + a_{m+t+1/2} \\ &= \frac{1}{2} (a_{m-t-1} + a_{m-t} + a_{m+t} + a_{m+t+1}) \le 2a_m \end{aligned}
which again implies the required inequality.

Case 2. p=2q1p = 2q - 1 is odd (and so mm is not an integer). We need to prove
amq+1/2+am+q1/22am. a_{m-q+1/2} + a_{m+q-1/2} \le 2a_m.
We use the assumption (34) for d=q1<pd = q - 1 < p and replace mm by m±q/2m \pm q/2 to obtain
amq+1/2+am1/22amq/2andam+1/2+am+q1/22am+q/2. a_{m-q+1/2} + a_{m-1/2} \le 2a_{m-q/2} \quad \text{and} \quad a_{m+1/2} + a_{m+q-1/2} \le 2a_{m+q/2}.
Adding, rearranging and using (33) gives
amq+1/2+am+q1/22amq/2+2am+q/22am.(36) a_{m-q+1/2} + a_{m+q-1/2} \le 2a_{m-q/2} + 2a_{m+q/2} - 2a_m. \quad (36)

Now, to prove the statement for (cn)(c_n), note that for any n0n \ge 0,
cn=max0in(ai+bni) c_n = \max_{0 \le i \le n} (a_i + b_{n-i})
Let i0i_0 be the index where the maximum is attained for cnc_n, i.e., cn=ai0+bni0c_n = a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0}.

Consider cn1c_{n-1} and cn+1c_{n+1}:
cn1=max0jn1(aj+bn1j) c_{n-1} = \max_{0 \le j \le n-1} (a_j + b_{n-1-j})
cn+1=max0kn+1(ak+bn+1k) c_{n+1} = \max_{0 \le k \le n+1} (a_k + b_{n+1-k})
For any i0i_0, we have
cn1ai01+bni0(if i01) c_{n-1} \ge a_{i_0-1} + b_{n-i_0} \quad \text{(if $i_0 \ge 1$)}
cn+1ai0+1+bni0(if i0n) c_{n+1} \ge a_{i_0+1} + b_{n-i_0} \quad \text{(if $i_0 \le n$)}
Similarly,
cn1ai0+bni01(if ni01) c_{n-1} \ge a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0-1} \quad \text{(if $n-i_0 \ge 1$)}
cn+1ai0+bni0+1(if ni0n+1) c_{n+1} \ge a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0+1} \quad \text{(if $n-i_0 \le n+1$)}
Now, by concavity of (an)(a_n) and (bn)(b_n),
ai0ai01+ai0+12 a_{i_0} \ge \frac{a_{i_0-1} + a_{i_0+1}}{2}
bni0bni01+bni0+12 b_{n-i_0} \ge \frac{b_{n-i_0-1} + b_{n-i_0+1}}{2}
Adding,
ai0+bni0ai01+bni0+ai0+1+bni02 a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0} \ge \frac{a_{i_0-1} + b_{n-i_0} + a_{i_0+1} + b_{n-i_0}}{2}
and
ai0+bni0ai0+bni01+ai0+bni0+12 a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0} \ge \frac{a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0-1} + a_{i_0} + b_{n-i_0+1}}{2}
Thus,
cncn1+cn+12 c_n \ge \frac{c_{n-1} + c_{n+1}}{2}
Therefore, (cn)(c_n) is concave.

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