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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Prove it Singapore

Let n3n \ge 3 be an integer. Prove that there exist positive integers x1,,xnx_1, \dots, x_n in geometric progression and positive integers y1,,yny_1, \dots, y_n in arithmetic progression such that x1<y1<x2<y2<<xn<ynx_1 < y_1 < x_2 < y_2 < \dots < x_n < y_n.

Solution

Let xk=n2n(1+1n2)kx_k = n^{2n} \left( 1 + \frac{1}{n^2} \right)^k and yk=n2n+(k+1)n2n2y_k = n^{2n} + (k+1)n^{2n-2}, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n. Then
x1<y1<x2<y2<<xn<ynx_1 < y_1 < x_2 < y_2 < \dots < x_n < y_n.

By the binomial theorem, we have for k2k \ge 2 and a1/k2a \le 1/k^2,
(1+a)k=1+ka+a(ak(k1)2!+a2k(k1)(k2)3!++ak1k!k!)1+ka+a(k(k1)k2+12!+k(k1)(k2)k413!++k!k2kk2k!)1+ka+a(12!++1k!)<1+ka+a(112++1(k1)!)1+ka+a(11k)<1+(k+1)a. \begin{align*} (1+a)^k &= 1+ka+a \left( \frac{ak(k-1)}{2!} + \frac{a^2k(k-1)(k-2)}{3!} + \dots + \frac{a^{k-1}k!}{k!} \right) \\ &\le 1+ka+a \left( \frac{k(k-1)}{k^2} + \frac{1}{2!} + \frac{k(k-1)(k-2)}{k^4} \frac{1}{3!} + \dots + \frac{k!}{k^2k^{k-2}k!} \right) \\ &\le 1+ka+a \left( \frac{1}{2!} + \dots + \frac{1}{k!} \right) < 1+ka+a \left( \frac{1}{1 \cdot 2} + \dots + \frac{1}{(k-1)!} \right) \\ &\le 1+ka+a \left( 1-\frac{1}{k} \right) < 1+(k+1)a. \end{align*}
Let Xk=(1+kn2)kX_k = \left( 1 + \frac{k}{n^2} \right)^k, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n. Then, for 2kn2 \le k \le n, 1n21k2\frac{1}{n^2} \le \frac{1}{k^2}. Therefore
1+kn2<Xk<1+k+1n2. 1 + \frac{k}{n^2} < X_k < 1 + \frac{k+1}{n^2}.
Multiplying throughout by n2nn^{2n}, we have
n2n+kn2n2<n2n(1+1n2)k<n2n+(k+1)n2n2. n^{2n} + k n^{2n-2} < n^{2n} \left( 1 + \frac{1}{n^2} \right)^k < n^{2n} + (k+1)n^{2n-2}.

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