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Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National Olympiad Prove it United States

Problem:
Find all real numbers xx that satisfy the equation
x20201+x20192++x200021=x12020+x22019++x212000, \frac{x-2020}{1}+\frac{x-2019}{2}+\cdots+\frac{x-2000}{21}=\frac{x-1}{2020}+\frac{x-2}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{x-21}{2000},
and simplify your answer(s) as much as possible. Justify your solution.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:
The number x=2021x=2021 works. Indeed, for x=2021x=2021, the left-hand side of the equation equals
202120201+202120192++2021200021=11+22++2121=1+1++121=21, \frac{2021-2020}{1}+\frac{2021-2019}{2}+\cdots+\frac{2021-2000}{21}=\frac{1}{1}+\frac{2}{2}+\cdots+\frac{21}{21}=\underbrace{1+1+\cdots+1}_{21}=21,
and the right-hand side of the equation equals the same number:
202112020+202122019++2021212000=20202020+20192019++20002000=1+1++121=21. \frac{2021-1}{2020}+\frac{2021-2}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{2021-21}{2000}=\frac{2020}{2020}+\frac{2019}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{2000}{2000}=\underbrace{1+1+\cdots+1}_{21}=21.
Why is x=2021x=2021 the only solution? The equation is linear: after simplifying it, it can be put into the form ax+b=0a x+b=0. Such equations have a unique solution, namely, x=bax=-\frac{b}{a}, as long as the coefficient aa of xx is not 00. In our situation, xx is multiplied by
a=(11+12++121)S1(12020+12019++12000)S2. a=\underbrace{\left(\frac{1}{1}+\frac{1}{2}+\cdots+\frac{1}{21}\right)}_{S_{1}}-\underbrace{\left(\frac{1}{2020}+\frac{1}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{1}{2000}\right)}_{S_{2}}.
However, each of the 21 fractions in the first sum S1S_{1} is bigger than each of the 21 fractions in the second sum S2S_{2}. Thus, S1>S2S_{1}>S_{2} and a>0a>0. Since a0a \neq 0, the equation has a unique solution, which we found earlier to be x=2021x=2021.

Solution 2

Solution:
If we subtract 2121 from both sides (i.e., we subtract 11 from each of the 2121 fractions on both sides), we obtain
x20211+x20212++x202121=x20212020+x20212019++x20212000 \frac{x-2021}{1}+\frac{x-2021}{2}+\cdots+\frac{x-2021}{21}=\frac{x-2021}{2020}+\frac{x-2021}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{x-2021}{2000}
or
(11+12++121)(x2021)=(12020+12019++12000)(x2021) \left(\frac{1}{1}+\frac{1}{2}+\cdots+\frac{1}{21}\right)(x-2021)=\left(\frac{1}{2020}+\frac{1}{2019}+\cdots+\frac{1}{2000}\right)(x-2021)
which implies x2021=0x-2021=0, or x=2021x=2021.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.