Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Romania

a) Show that if a,b>1a, b > 1 are distinct real numbers then
loga(logab)>logb(logab). \log_a(\log_a b) > \log_b(\log_a b).

b) Let a1>a2>>an>1a_1 > a_2 > \dots > a_n > 1 be real numbers, n2n \ge 2. Prove that
loga1(loga1(a2)+loga2(loga2(a3)++logan1(logan1(an)+logan(logan(a1))))>0. \log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \log_{a_2}(\log_{a_2}(a_3) + \dots + \log_{a_{n-1}}(\log_{a_{n-1}}(a_n) + \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1)))) > 0.

Solution

a) For a<ba < b, loga(logab)=(logab)(logb(logab))>logb(logab)\log_a(\log_a b) = (\log_a b)(\log_b(\log_a b)) > \log_b(\log_a b) because logb(logab)>0\log_b(\log_a b) > 0 and logab>1\log_a b > 1.
For a>ba > b, the claim is reached from logab<1\log_a b < 1 and logb(logab)<0\log_b(\log_a b) < 0.

b) Induct on nn. For n=2n = 2,
loga1(loga1(a2)+loga2(loga2(a1)))>loga2(loga1(a2)+loga1(loga1(a1)))=loga2(1)=0. \log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \log_{a_2}(\log_{a_2}(a_1))) > \log_{a_2}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_1))) = \log_{a_2}(1) = 0.
Assume now that the claim holds for some nn and consider the numbers a1>a2>>an+1>1a_1 > a_2 > \dots > a_{n+1} > 1. Then
loga1(loga1(a2)++logan(logan(an+1)+logan+1(logan+1(a1)))=loga1(loga1(a2)++logan1(logan1(an)+logan(logan(a1)))+loga1(loga1(a2)++logan1(logan1(an)+logan(logan(a1))=>logan+1(logan(an+1)+logan+1(logan+1(a1))logan(logan(a1))>>logan+1(logan(an+1)+logan+1(logan+1(a1))logan(logan(a1))==logan+1(logan(a1)logan(logan(a1)))>0, \begin{align*} & \log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \dots + \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_{n+1}) + \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_{n+1}}(a_1))) = \\ & \qquad \log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \dots + \log_{a_{n-1}}(\log_{a_{n-1}}(a_n) + \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1))) + \\ & \qquad \phantom{\log_{a_1}(\log_{a_1}(a_2) + \dots + \log_{a_{n-1}}(\log_{a_{n-1}}(a_n) + \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1)) =} \\ & > \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_n}(a_{n+1}) + \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_{n+1}}(a_1)) - \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1)) > \\ & \qquad \phantom{> \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_n}(a_{n+1}) + \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_{n+1}}(a_1)) - \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1)) =} \\ & = \log_{a_{n+1}}(\log_{a_n}(a_1) - \log_{a_n}(\log_{a_n}(a_1))) > 0, \end{align*}
because logana1>1\log_{a_n} a_1 > 1 and an+1<ana_{n+1} < a_n.

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