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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it China

Let a1,a2,,a2na_1, a_2, \dots, a_{2n} be real numbers with i=12n1(ai+1ai)2=1\sum_{i=1}^{2n-1} (a_{i+1} - a_i)^2 = 1. Find the maximum value of (an+1+an+2++a2n)(a1+a2++an)(a_{n+1} + a_{n+2} + \dots + a_{2n}) - (a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n). (posed by Leng Gangsong)

Solution

First, for n=1n=1, we have (a2a1)2=1(a_2 - a_1)^2 = 1, a2a1=±1a_2 - a_1 = \pm 1. Then the maximum value of a2a1a_2 - a_1 is 11.

Secondly, for n2n \ge 2, let x1=a1x_1 = a_1, xi+1=ai+1aix_{i+1} = a_{i+1} - a_i, i=1,2,,2n1i = 1, 2, \dots, 2n-1. Then i=22nxi2=1\sum_{i=2}^{2n} x_i^2 = 1, and ak=x1++xka_k = x_1 + \dots + x_k, k=1,2,,2nk = 1, 2, \dots, 2n. Using Cauchy's Inequality, we have
(an+1+an+2++a2n)(a1+a2++an)=n(x1++xn)+nxn+1+(n1)xn+2++x2n[nx1+(n1)x2++xn] \begin{aligned} & (a_{n+1} + a_{n+2} + \dots + a_{2n}) - (a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n) \\ &= n(x_1 + \dots + x_n) + n x_{n+1} + (n-1)x_{n+2} + \dots + x_{2n} \\ &\quad - [n x_1 + (n-1)x_2 + \dots + x_n] \end{aligned}

=x2+2x3++(n1)xn+nxn+1+(n1)xn+2++x2n[12+22++(n1)2+n2+(n1)2++12]12(x22+x32++x2n2)12=[n2+2×16(n1)n(2n1)]12=n(2n2+1)3. \begin{align*} &= x_2 + 2x_3 + \cdots + (n-1)x_n + n x_{n+1} + (n-1)x_{n+2} + \cdots + x_{2n} \\ &\le [1^2 + 2^2 + \cdots + (n-1)^2 + n^2 + (n-1)^2 + \cdots + 1^2]^{\frac{1}{2}} (x_2^2 + x_3^2 + \cdots + x_{2n}^2)^{\frac{1}{2}} \\ &= \left[ n^2 + 2 \times \frac{1}{6}(n-1)n(2n-1) \right]^{\frac{1}{2}} = \sqrt{\frac{n(2n^2+1)}{3}}. \end{align*}

The equality holds when
ak=3k(k1)2n(2n2+1),an+k=3[2n2(nk)(nk+1)]2n(2n2+1),k=1,2,,n. \begin{gather*} a_k = \frac{\sqrt{3k(k-1)}}{2\sqrt{n(2n^2+1)}}, \quad a_{n+k} = \frac{\sqrt{3}[2n^2 - (n-k)(n-k+1)]}{2\sqrt{n(2n^2+1)}}, \\ k = 1, 2, \dots, n. \end{gather*}
So the maximum value of (an+1+an+2++a2n)(a1+a2++an)(a_{n+1} + a_{n+2} + \cdots + a_{2n}) - (a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n) is n(2n2+1)3\sqrt{\frac{n(2n^2+1)}{3}}.

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