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, 2011

Algebra Difficulty 8.9 Shortlist Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Given an integer number n2n \ge 2, determine the minimum value the sum
i=1nxi2(1+xin2x1xi1xi+1xn) \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 \left( 1 + \frac{x_i^{n-2}}{x_1 \cdots x_{i-1} x_{i+1} \cdots x_n} \right)
may achieve, when x1,x2,,xnx_1, x_2, \dots, x_n run through the positive real numbers subject to
i=1n1xi+1=1. \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{x_i + 1} = 1.

Solution

The required minimum is n2(n1)n^2(n-1) and is achieved if and only if the xix_i are all equal to n1n-1.
Write
i=1nxi2(1+xin2x1xi1xi+1xn)=i=1nxi2+i=1nxinx1xi1xi+1xn \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 \left( 1 + \frac{x_i^{n-2}}{x_1 \cdots x_{i-1} x_{i+1} \cdots x_n} \right) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 + \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{x_i^n}{x_1 \cdots x_{i-1} x_{i+1} \cdots x_n}
and minimise each sum separately.
To minimise the first sum, notice that
i=1nxi=i=1n(xi+1)n=(i=1n(xi+1))i=1n1xi+1nn2n=n(n1), \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i = \sum_{i=1}^{n} (x_i + 1) - n = \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} (x_i + 1) \right) \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{x_i + 1} - n \geq n^2 - n = n(n-1),
so
i=1nxi21n(i=1nxi)2n(n1)2; \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 \geq \frac{1}{n} \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \right)^2 \geq n(n-1)^2;
clearly, equality holds if and only if the xix_i are all n1n-1.
To minimise the second sum, apply the AM-GM inequality to obtain
xinx1xi1xi+1xn+jixjnxi,i=1,2,,n, \frac{x_i^n}{x_1 \cdots x_{i-1} x_{i+1} \cdots x_n} + \sum_{j \neq i} x_j \geq n x_i, \quad i = 1, 2, \dots, n,
and sum over all ii to get
i=1nxinx1xi1xi+1xni=1nxin(n1); \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{x_i^n}{x_1 \cdots x_{i-1} x_{i+1} \cdots x_n} \geq \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \geq n(n-1);
again, equality holds if and only if the xix_i are all n1n-1. The conclusion follows.

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