Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2012

Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Saudi Arabia

Define the sequence x1,x2,x_1, x_2, \dots, by x1=16x_1 = \frac{1}{6} and
xn+1=n+1n+3(xn+12), x_{n+1} = \frac{n+1}{n+3} \left( x_n + \frac{1}{2} \right),
for every n1n \ge 1. Find x2011x_{2011}.

Solution

We have
x2=24(16+12)=26,x3=35(26+12)=36, etc. x_2 = \frac{2}{4} \left( \frac{1}{6} + \frac{1}{2} \right) = \frac{2}{6}, \quad x_3 = \frac{3}{5} \left( \frac{2}{6} + \frac{1}{2} \right) = \frac{3}{6}, \text{ etc.}
We will prove by induction that for every n1n \ge 1, we have xn=n6x_n = \frac{n}{6}.
Indeed, assuming xn=n6x_n = \frac{n}{6}, it follows
xn+1=n+1n+3(n6+12)=n+1n+3n+36=n+16, x_{n+1} = \frac{n+1}{n+3} \left( \frac{n}{6} + \frac{1}{2} \right) = \frac{n+1}{n+3} \cdot \frac{n+3}{6} = \frac{n+1}{6},
and we are done.
The answer is x2011=20116x_{2011} = \frac{2011}{6}.

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