Find the smallest positive real number p(≤1) such that the inequality i=1∑2024xi(y2025−i−y2024−i)≥1−p holds for all real numbers 0≤x1≤x2≤⋯≤x2024≤1 and 0=y0≤y1≤y2≤⋯≤y2024≤1 satisfying i=1∑2024xi=i=1∑2024yi=2024p.
Solution
If x1=x2=⋯=x2024=y1=y2=⋯=y2024=p, then p2≥1−p, that is, p≥21+5. So, p must be at least 21+5. We prove that the condition holds for p=21+5, which implies that the answer is 21+5. Let p=21+5, and let S={(x1,…,x2024)∣0≤x1≤⋯≤x2024≤1,x1+x2+⋯+x2024=2024p}. For X=(x1,x2,…,x2024), Y=(y1,y2,…,y2024)∈S, we regard x0=y0=0 for convenience, and let f(X,Y)=i=1∑2024xi(y2025−i−y2024−i)=x1(y2024−y2023)+x2(y2023−y2022)+⋯+x2023(y2−y1)+x2024y1. Since f(X,Y)=y1(x2024−x2023)+y2(x2023−x2022)+⋯+y2023(x2−x1)+y2024x1, f(X,Y) is symmetric with regard to X and Y. If x1=x2=⋯=xk1=a1, xk1+1=⋯=xk1+k2=a2, …,xk1+k2+⋯+km−1+1=⋯=xn=am for 0≤a1<a2<⋯<am≤1, we denote X by (a1k1,a2k2,…,amkm) where km=2024−k1−k2−⋯−km−1, and let l(X)=m. And in this case, we have f(X,Y)=a1(y2024−y2024−k1)+a2(y2024−k1−y2024−k1−k2)+⋯+amykm=a1Y1+a2Y2+⋯+amYm where Yt=y2024−k1−k2−⋯−kt−1−y2024−k1−k2−⋯−kt=ykt+kt+1+⋯+km−ykt+1+⋯+km for t=1,2,…,m. Now we consider X,Y∈S such that f(X,Y) is minimized, and subject to that l(X)+l(Y) is minimum. Let X=(a1k1,a2k2,…,amkm). Lemma. There is no 1≤i<m such that 0<ai,ai+1<1.
Proof. Suppose 0<ai<ai+1<1 for some i. Case 1.kiYi≤ki+1Yi+1. Let a=ki+ki+1kiai+ki+1ai+1. Then, ai<a<ai+1, and for X′=(a1k1,…,ai−1ki−1,ai−1ki−1+ki+1,ai+2ki+2,…,amkm) we have f(X,Y)−f(X′,Y)≥0 and l(X′)=m−1<l(X), which yields a contradiction to the fact that l(X)+l(Y) is minimum. Case 2.kiYi>ki+1Yi+1. Choose a positive real number e such that e<ai−ai−1 (if i=1, let a0=0) and ai+1+ki+1kie<ai+2 (if i=m−1, let am+1=1). Let a=ai−e and b=ai+1+ki+1kie, and consider X′=(a1k1,a2k2,…,ai−1ki−1,aki,bki+1,ai+2ki+2,…,amkm). Since kia+ki+1b=kiai+ki+1ai+1, X′∈S. However, f(X,Y)−f(X,Y′)>0, yielding a contradiction. Therefore there is no 1≤i<m such that 0<ai,ai+1<1. □ The above lemma also holds for Y. Thus, there exist non-negative integers k1,k2,k3,s1,s2,s3 and real numbers 0<a,b<1 such that ∙k1+k2+k3=s1+s2+s3=2024, ∙x1=x2=⋯=xk1=0,xk1+1=⋯=xk1+k2=a,xk1+k2+1=⋯=x2024=1 ∙y1=y2=⋯=ys1=0,ys1+1=⋯=ys1+s2=a,ys1+s2+1=⋯=y2024=1 ∙k2a+k3=s2b+s3=2024p. We note that k1,k2,k3,s1,s2,s3 could be zero, and we have f(X,Y)=ayk2+k3+(1−a)yk3=bxs2+s3+(1−b)xs3. If k2=0, then x1+x2+⋯+x2024=k3=2024p (since k3 is an integer), so k2>0. Thus, k3<k2a+k3=2024p and k1=2024−(k2+k3)<2024−(k2a+k3)=2024(1−p). That is, k1<2024(1−p),k2>0,k3<2024p, and similarly, s1<2024(1−p),s2>0,s3<2024p. Since y1=y2=⋯=ys1=0, ys1+1=⋯=ys1+s2=a, and ys1+s2+1=⋯=y2024=1, in order for f(X,Y)=ayk2+k3+(1−a)yk3 to be minimized, the following must hold. (i) yk2+k3+1=⋯=y2024=1 (ii) yk3+1=⋯=yk2+k3 (iii) y1=⋯=yk3 Similarly, the following must hold. (i') xs2+s3+1=⋯=x2024=1 (ii') xs3+1=⋯=xs2+s3 (iii') x1=⋯=xs3 By (i) and (i'), k1≤s3 and s1≤k3. If k1<s3, then yk3+1=1 by (i) and (ii), so k1+k2≤s3<2024p. Then by (iii), k3=s2, yk3=b and s1=0, k1+k2=s3. So, ab=k22024p−k3=2024−k1−k32024p−k3≥2024−k32024p−k3=1−2024−k32024(1−p)=s22024p−s3=k32024p−k1−k2=k3k3−2024(1−p)=1−k32024(1−p) Since 2024p>k3=2024−(k1+k2)=2024−s3>2024(1−p), we have f(X,Y)=ayk2+k3+(1−a)yk3=a+(1−a)b=1−(1−a)(1−b)=1−2024−k32024(1−p)⋅k32024(1−p)≥1−p. So, we may assume that k1=s3 and by the symmetry, we may further assume that s1=k3. Then, k2=s2, and (i) yk2+k3+1=⋯=y2024=1 (ii) yk3+1=⋯=yk2+k3=b (iii) y1=⋯=yk3=0.
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