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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Romania

Let f:[1,1]Rf: [-1, 1] \to \mathbb{R} be a continuous function having finite derivative at 00, and
I(h)=hhf(x)dx,h[0,1]. I(h) = \int_{-h}^{h} f(x) \, dx, \quad h \in [0, 1].
Prove that

a) There exists M>0M > 0, such that I(h)2f(0)hMh2|I(h) - 2f(0)h| \leq Mh^2, for any h[0,1]h \in [0, 1].

b) The sequence (an)n1(a_n)_{n \geq 1}, defined by an=k=1nkI(1/k)a_n = \sum_{k=1}^{n} \sqrt{k} |I(1/k)|, is convergent if and only if f(0)=0f(0) = 0.

Solution

a) The continuous function φ:(0,1]R\varphi : (0, 1] \to \mathbb{R}, φ(h)=I(h)2f(0)hh2\varphi(h) = \frac{I(h) - 2f(0)h}{h^2}, may be prolonged by continuity at 00, since
limh0φ(h)=limh0(I(h)2f(0)h)2h=limh0f(h)+f(h)2f(0)2h==12limh0(f(h)f(0)hf(h)f(0)h)=12(f(0)f(0))=0. \begin{align*} \lim_{h \to 0} \varphi(h) &= \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{(I(h) - 2f(0)h)'}{2h} = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{f(h) + f(-h) - 2f(0)}{2h} = \\ &= \frac{1}{2} \lim_{h \to 0} \left( \frac{f(h) - f(0)}{h} - \frac{f(-h) - f(0)}{-h} \right) = \frac{1}{2} (f'(0) - f'(0)) = 0. \end{align*}
Therefore φ\varphi is bounded on (0,1](0, 1].
Let M=sup{φ(h):0<h1}M = \sup\{|\varphi(h)| : 0 < h \le 1\}. Then I(h)2f(0)hMh2|I(h) - 2f(0)h| \le Mh^2, whatever h(0,1]h \in (0, 1]; the inequality obviously also holds for h=0h = 0.

b) Since
I(h)2f(0)hI(h)2f(0)hMh2,0<h1, ||I(h)| - 2|f(0)|h| \le |I(h) - 2f(0)h| \le Mh^2, \quad 0 < h \le 1,
it follows that
2f(0)hMh2I(h)2f(0)h+Mh2,0<h1, 2|f(0)|h - Mh^2 \le |I(h)| \le 2|f(0)|h + Mh^2, \quad 0 < h \le 1,
whence
2f(0)kMkkkI(1/k)2f(0)k+Mkk,kN. \frac{2|f(0)|}{\sqrt{k}} - \frac{M}{k\sqrt{k}} \le \sqrt{k} |I(1/k)| \le \frac{2|f(0)|}{\sqrt{k}} + \frac{M}{k\sqrt{k}}, \quad k \in \mathbb{N}^*.
But
k=1n1kk=1n1n=n,nN. \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{k}} \ge \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n}} = \sqrt{n}, \quad n \in \mathbb{N}^*.
and
k=1n1kk=1+k=2n1kk1+2k=2n(1k11k)==1+2(11n)<3,nN. \begin{align*} \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{1}{k\sqrt{k}} &= 1 + \sum_{k=2}^{n} \frac{1}{k\sqrt{k}} \le 1 + 2 \sum_{k=2}^{n} \left( \frac{1}{\sqrt{k-1}} - \frac{1}{\sqrt{k}} \right) = \\ &= 1 + 2 \left( 1 - \frac{1}{\sqrt{n}} \right) < 3, \quad n \in \mathbb{N}^*. \end{align*}
According with these inequalities, it follows that

(1) If f(0)=0f(0) = 0, then an3Ma_n \le 3M, whatever nNn \in \mathbb{N}^*; since the sequence (an)n1(a_n)_{n \ge 1} is increasing, it is therefore convergent.

(2) If f(0)0f(0) \ne 0, then an2f(0)n3Ma_n \ge 2|f(0)|\sqrt{n} - 3M, whatever nNn \in \mathbb{N}^*, so the sequence (an)n1(a_n)_{n \ge 1} is unbounded.

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