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Algebra Difficulty 6.1 National olympiad Prove it China

Assume that nn is a given positive integer. Find all of the integer groups (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) satisfying the conditions:
(1) a1+a2++ann2a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n \ge n^2;
(2) a12+a22++an2n3+1a_1^2 + a_2^2 + \dots + a_n^2 \le n^3 + 1.

Solution

Suppose (a1,a2,,an)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) is an integer group which satisfies the conditions. Then by Cauchy's inequality we have
a12++an21n(a1++an)2n3.1 a_1^2 + \dots + a_n^2 \ge \frac{1}{n} (a_1 + \dots + a_n)^2 \ge n^3. \qquad \textcircled{1}
Combining a12++an2n3+1a_1^2 + \dots + a_n^2 \le n^3 + 1, we see that it can only be a12++an2=n3a_1^2 + \dots + a_n^2 = n^3 or a12++an2=n3+1a_1^2 + \dots + a_n^2 = n^3 + 1.

If it is the former, then by the condition for Cauchy's inequality to take the equality sign, we can obtain a1==ana_1 = \dots = a_n. This requires a12=n2a_1^2 = n^2, 1in1 \le i \le n. Combining a1++ann2a_1 + \dots + a_n \ge n^2, we have a1==an=na_1 = \dots = a_n = n.

If it is the latter, then let bi=ainb_i = a_i - n, then we have
b12+b22++bn2=i=1nai22ni=1nai+n3=2n3+12ni=1nai1. b_1^2 + b_2^2 + \dots + b_n^2 = \sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i^2 - 2n \sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i + n^3 \\ = 2n^3 + 1 - 2n \sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i \le 1.
Thus b12b_1^2 can only be 00 or 11, and there is at the most one among b12b_1^2, b22b_2^2, ..., bn2b_n^2 to be 11. If b12b_1^2, ..., bn2b_n^2 all are zero, then ai=na_i = n, i=1nai2=n3n3+1\sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i^2 = n^3 \ne n^3 + 1. It leads to a contradiction. If there is just one among b12b_1^2, ..., bn2b_n^2 to be 11, then i=1nai2=n3±2n+1n3+1\sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i^2 = n^3 \pm 2n + 1 \ne n^3 + 1. Again, it leads to a contradiction.

Consequently, we obtain that it can only be (a1,,an)=(n,,n)(a_1, \dots, a_n) = (n, \dots, n).

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