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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Determine the least real number cc, such that for any integer n1n \ge 1 and any positive real numbers a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n, the following holds
k=1nk1a1+1a2++1ak<ck=1nak. \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{\frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}} < c \sum_{k=1}^{n} a_k.

Solution

We claim cmin=2c_{\min} = 2.
Taking aj=1ja_j = \frac{1}{j} for j=1,2,,nj = 1, 2, \dots, n, we have
k=1nk1a1+1a2++1ak=k=1nk1+2++k=2k=1n1k+1, while ck=1nak= \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{\frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}} = \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{1 + 2 + \dots + k} = 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{1}{k+1}, \text{ while } c \sum_{k=1}^{n} a_k =

We will now prove that c=2c = 2 is suitable. From the Cauchy-Schwartz inequality,
k2(k+1)24=(j=1kj)2(j=1kj2aj)(j=1k1aj), hencek1a1+1a2++1ak4k(k+1)2j=1kj2aj. \frac{k^2(k+1)^2}{4} = \left(\sum_{j=1}^{k} j\right)^2 \le \left(\sum_{j=1}^{k} j^2 a_j\right) \left(\sum_{j=1}^{k} \frac{1}{a_j}\right), \text{ hence} \\ \frac{k}{\frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}} \le \frac{4}{k(k+1)^2} \sum_{j=1}^{k} j^2 a_j.
Therefore
k=1nk1a1+1a2++1akk=1n(4k(k+1)2j=1kj2aj)==j=1n(j2ajk=jn4k(k+1)2)=2j=1n(j2ajk=jn2kk2(k+1)2)<<2j=1n(j2ajk=jn2k+1k2(k+1)2). Butk=jn2k+1k2(k+1)2=k=jn(1k21(k+1)2)=1j21(n+1)2<1j2,hence k=1nk1a1+1a2++1ak<2k=1nak. \begin{align*} \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{\frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}} &\le \sum_{k=1}^{n} \left( \frac{4}{k(k+1)^2} \sum_{j=1}^{k} j^2 a_j \right) = \\ &= \sum_{j=1}^{n} \left( j^2 a_j \sum_{k=j}^{n} \frac{4}{k(k+1)^2} \right) = 2 \sum_{j=1}^{n} \left( j^2 a_j \sum_{k=j}^{n} \frac{2k}{k^2(k+1)^2} \right) < \\ &< 2 \sum_{j=1}^{n} \left( j^2 a_j \sum_{k=j}^{n} \frac{2k+1}{k^2(k+1)^2} \right). \text{ But} \\ \sum_{k=j}^{n} \frac{2k+1}{k^2(k+1)^2} &= \sum_{k=j}^{n} \left( \frac{1}{k^2} - \frac{1}{(k+1)^2} \right) = \frac{1}{j^2} - \frac{1}{(n+1)^2} < \frac{1}{j^2}, \\ \text{hence } \sum_{k=1}^{n} \frac{k}{\frac{1}{a_1} + \frac{1}{a_2} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}} &< 2 \sum_{k=1}^{n} a_k. \end{align*}

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