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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it Vietnam

A sequence (xn)(x_n) is defined as follows x1=1x_1 = 1 and xn+1=xn+3xn+nxnx_{n+1} = x_n + 3\sqrt{x_n} + \frac{n}{\sqrt{x_n}} for all positive integers nn.

a) Prove that limn+nxn=0\lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{n}{x_n} = 0.

b) Find the limit limn+n2xn\lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{n^2}{x_n}.

Solution

a. We will prove xnn2x_n \ge n^2 for all positive integers by induction. The statement is obvious in case n=1n=1. Assume that xnn2x_n \ge n^2, hence
xn+1>xn+3xnxn+3n(n+1)2. x_{n+1} > x_n + 3\sqrt{x_n} \ge x_n + 3n \ge (n+1)^2.
Therefore, the statement is proved. Thus
0<nxn1n. 0 < \frac{n}{x_n} \geq \frac{1}{n}.
By the Squeeze theorem, one can get limn+nxn=0\lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{n}{x_n} = 0.

b. Let xn=yn2x_n = y_n^2 and the given formula can be rewritten as
(yn+1yn)(yn+1+yn)=3yn+nyn (y_{n+1} - y_n)(y_{n+1} + y_n) = 3y_n + \frac{n}{y_n}
then combine with the formula of yn+1y_{n+1} calculated by yny_n, the above
equality obtains that
yn+1yn=3yn+nynyn2+3yn+nyn+yn=3+nyn21+3yn+nyn3+1 \begin{align*} y_{n+1} - y_n &= \frac{3y_n + \frac{n}{y_n}}{\sqrt{y_n^2 + 3y_n + \frac{n}{y_n}} + y_n} \\ &= \frac{3 + \frac{n}{y_n^2}}{\sqrt{1 + \frac{3}{y_n} + \frac{n}{y_n^3}} + 1} \end{align*}
From part a), one could deduce that
limn+1yn=limn+nyn3=0 \lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{1}{y_n} = \lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{n}{y_n^3} = 0
hence
limn+(yn+1yn)=32. \lim_{n \to +\infty} (y_{n+1} - y_n) = \frac{3}{2}.
By Cesàro mean theorem,
limn+ynn=32limn+n2xn=49 \lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{y_n}{n} = \frac{3}{2} \Rightarrow \lim_{n \to +\infty} \frac{n^2}{x_n} = \frac{4}{9}
and it is the result.

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