Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / Kanada /4 of 18

Kanada, 2014

Algebra Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Canada

Let a1a_1, a2a_2, …\dots, ana_n be positive real numbers whose product is 11. Show that the sum
a11+a1+a2(1+a1)(1+a2)+a3(1+a1)(1+a2)(1+a3)+⋯+an(1+a1)(1+a2)…(1+an) \frac{a_1}{1+a_1} + \frac{a_2}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)} + \frac{a_3}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)(1+a_3)} + \dots + \frac{a_n}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)\dots(1+a_n)}
is greater than or equal to 2n−12n\frac{2^n - 1}{2^n}.

Solution

Note that for every positive integer mm,
am(1+a1)(1+a2)⋯(1+am)=1+am(1+a1)(1+a2)⋯(1+am)−1(1+a1)(1+a2)⋯(1+am)=1(1+a1)⋯(1+am−1)−1(1+a1)⋯(1+am). \begin{aligned} \frac{a_m}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)\cdots(1+a_m)} &= \frac{1+a_m}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)\cdots(1+a_m)} - \frac{1}{(1+a_1)(1+a_2)\cdots(1+a_m)} \\ &= \frac{1}{(1+a_1)\cdots(1+a_{m-1})} - \frac{1}{(1+a_1)\cdots(1+a_m)}. \end{aligned}
Therefore, if we let bj=(1+a1)(1+a2)⋯(1+aj)b_j = (1+a_1)(1+a_2)\cdots(1+a_j), with b0=1b_0 = 1, then by telescoping sums,
∑j=1naj(1+a1)⋯(1+aj)=∑j=1n(1bj−1−1bj)=1−1bn. \sum_{j=1}^{n} \frac{a_j}{(1+a_1)\cdots(1+a_j)} = \sum_{j=1}^{n} \left( \frac{1}{b_{j-1}} - \frac{1}{b_j} \right) = 1 - \frac{1}{b_n}.
Note that bn=(1+a1)(1+a2)⋯(1+an)≥(2a1)(2a2)⋯(2an)=2nb_n = (1+a_1)(1+a_2)\cdots(1+a_n) \ge (2\sqrt{a_1})(2\sqrt{a_2})\cdots(2\sqrt{a_n}) = 2^n, with equality if and only if all aia_i's equal 11. Therefore,
1−1bn≥1−12n=2n−12n. 1 - \frac{1}{b_n} \ge 1 - \frac{1}{2^n} = \frac{2^n - 1}{2^n}.
To check that this minimum can be obtained, substitute all ai=1a_i = 1 to yield
12+122+123+⋯+12n=2n−1+2n−2+⋯+12n=2n−12n, \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2^2} + \frac{1}{2^3} + \dots + \frac{1}{2^n} = \frac{2^{n-1} + 2^{n-2} + \dots + 1}{2^n} = \frac{2^n - 1}{2^n},
as desired.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,604 problems in a working order, from Junior Challenge level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.