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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Let n3n \ge 3 be fixed. A sequence a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n of real numbers is nice if
0a1++ak1+ak+1++an1 0 \le a_1 + \dots + a_{k-1} + a_{k+1} + \dots + a_n \le 1
for all 1kn1 \le k \le n. Let m=min{a1,a2,,an}m = \min\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} denote the minimum and let M=max{a1,a2,,an}M = \max\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} denote the maximum of the sequence a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n.
(i) Find the maximum of MM over all nice sequences.
(ii) Find the minimum of mm over all nice sequences.

Solution

Answer: (i) maxM=1\max M = 1, (ii) minm=n2n1\min m = -\frac{n-2}{n-1}.

i. For (a1,a2,,an)=(0,,0,1)(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = (0, \dots, 0, 1), we have M=1M = 1.
Now we show M1M \le 1 holds always. Suppose, on the contrary, that for some nice sequence a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n, we have M>1M > 1. Let T=(a1++an)mMT = (a_1 + \dots + a_n) - m - M, then we have T+M1T + M \le 1 by the niceness condition, hence T1M<0T \le 1 - M < 0. Then mTn2<0m \le \frac{T}{n-2} < 0 and thus m+T<0m + T < 0, which contradicts niceness. Thus the maximum possible value for MM is 1.

ii. If a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n is nice, then so is b1,b2,,bnb_1, b_2, \dots, b_n for
b1=1n1a1,b2=1n1a2,,bn=1n1an. b_1 = \frac{1}{n-1} - a_1, \quad b_2 = \frac{1}{n-1} - a_2, \quad \dots, \quad b_n = \frac{1}{n-1} - a_n.
From (i), we have 1n1m1\frac{1}{n-1} - m \le 1, thus m1n11m \ge \frac{1}{n-1} - 1. The minimum of mm is achieved on the sequence (1n11,1n1,,1n1)\left( \frac{1}{n-1} - 1, \frac{1}{n-1}, \dots, \frac{1}{n-1} \right).

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