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Algebra Difficulty 8.5 Shortlist Prove it China

Let x1,,xnx_1, \dots, x_n (n2n \ge 2) be real numbers such that
A=i=1nxi0 A = \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \right| \neq 0
and
B=max1i<jnxixj0. B = \max_{1 \le i < j \le n} |x_i - x_j| \neq 0.
Prove that for every nn vectors α1,,αn\alpha_1, \dots, \alpha_n on the plane, there exists a permutation (k1,k2,,kn)(k_1, k_2, \dots, k_n) of (1,2,,n)(1, 2, \dots, n) such that
i=1nxkiαiAB2A+Bmax1inαi. \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| \ge \frac{AB}{2A+B} \max_{1 \le i \le n} |\alpha_i|.

Solution

Proof Let αk=max1inαi|\alpha_k| = \max_{1 \le i \le n} |\alpha_i|. It is sufficient to prove that
max(k1,,kn)Sni=1nxkiαiAB2A+Bαk, \max_{(k_1, \dots, k_n) \in S_n} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| \ge \frac{AB}{2A+B} |\alpha_k|,
where SnS_n is the set of all permutations of (1,2,,n)(1, 2, \dots, n).

Without loss of generality, assume
xnx1=max1i<jnxjxi=B, |x_n - x_1| = \max_{1 \le i < j \le n} |x_j - x_i| = B,
αnα1=max1i<jnαjαi. |\alpha_n - \alpha_1| = \max_{1 \le i < j \le n} |\alpha_j - \alpha_i|.
For the two vectors
β1=x1α1+x2α2++xn1αn1+xnαn, \beta_1 = x_1\alpha_1 + x_2\alpha_2 + \cdots + x_{n-1}\alpha_{n-1} + x_n\alpha_n,
β2=xnα1+x2α2++xn1αn1+x1αn, \beta_2 = x_n\alpha_1 + x_2\alpha_2 + \cdots + x_{n-1}\alpha_{n-1} + x_1\alpha_n,
we have
max(k1,,kn)Sni=1nxkiαimax{β1,β2}12(β1+β2)12β1β2=12x1αn+xnα1x1α1xnαn=12x1xnα1αn=12Bαnα1.(1) \begin{aligned} \max_{(k_1, \dots, k_n) \in S_n} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| & \ge \max\{|\beta_1|, |\beta_2|\} \\ & \ge \frac{1}{2} (|\beta_1| + |\beta_2|) \\ & \ge \frac{1}{2} |\beta_1 - \beta_2| \\ & = \frac{1}{2} |x_1 \alpha_n + x_n \alpha_1 - x_1 \alpha_1 - x_n \alpha_n| \\ & = \frac{1}{2} |x_1 - x_n| \cdot |\alpha_1 - \alpha_n| \\ & = \frac{1}{2} B |\alpha_n - \alpha_1|. \tag{1} \end{aligned}
Now suppose αnα1=xαk|\alpha_n - \alpha_1| = x |\alpha_k|. Using the Triangle Inequality, we obtain 0x20 \le x \le 2. So (1) becomes
max(k1,,kn)Sni=1nxkiαi12Bxαk.(2) \max_{(k_1, \dots, k_n) \in S_n} \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| \ge \frac{1}{2} B x |\alpha_k|. \tag{2}
On the other hand, consider the vectors
γ1=x1α1+x2α2++xn1αn1+xnαn \gamma_1 = x_1 \alpha_1 + x_2 \alpha_2 + \dots + x_{n-1} \alpha_{n-1} + x_n \alpha_n
γ2=x2α1+x3α2++xnαn1+x1αn \gamma_2 = x_2 \alpha_1 + x_3 \alpha_2 + \dots + x_n \alpha_{n-1} + x_1 \alpha_n
γn=xnα1+x1α2++xn2αn1+xn1αn. \gamma_n = x_n \alpha_1 + x_1 \alpha_2 + \dots + x_{n-2} \alpha_{n-1} + x_{n-1} \alpha_n.
Then we have
max(k1,,kn)Sni=1nxkiαimax1inγi1n(γ1++γn)1nγ1++γn=Anα1++αn=Annαkjk(αkαj)An(nαkjkαkαj)An(nαk(n1)αnα1)=An(nαk(n1)xαk)=A(1n1nx)αk.3 \begin{aligned} \max_{(k_1, \dots, k_n) \in S_n} \left| \sum_{i=1}^n x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| &\ge \max_{1 \le i \le n} |\gamma_i| \\ &\ge \frac{1}{n} (|\gamma_1| + \dots + |\gamma_n|) \\ &\ge \frac{1}{n} |\gamma_1 + \dots + \gamma_n| \\ &= \frac{A}{n} |\alpha_1 + \dots + \alpha_n| \\ &= \frac{A}{n} \left| n\alpha_k - \sum_{j \ne k} (\alpha_k - \alpha_j) \right| \\ &\ge \frac{A}{n} \left( n \left| \alpha_k \right| - \sum_{j \ne k} \left| \alpha_k - \alpha_j \right| \right) \\ &\ge \frac{A}{n} \left( n \left| \alpha_k \right| - (n-1) \left| \alpha_n - \alpha_1 \right| \right) \\ &= \frac{A}{n} \left( n \left| \alpha_k \right| - (n-1)x \left| \alpha_k \right| \right) \\ &= A \left( 1 - \frac{n-1}{n} x \right) |\alpha_k|. \quad \textcircled{3} \end{aligned}
From (2) and (3), it follows that
max(k1,,kn)Sni=1nxkiαimax{Bx2,A(1n1nx)}αkBx2An1n+A(1n1nx)B2An1n+B2αk=AB2A+B2AnαkAB2A+Bαk. \begin{aligned} \max_{(k_1, \dots, k_n) \in S_n} \left| \sum_{i=1}^n x_{k_i} \alpha_i \right| &\ge \max\left\{\frac{Bx}{2}, A\left(1 - \frac{n-1}{n}x\right)\right\} |\alpha_k| \\ &\ge \frac{\frac{Bx}{2} \cdot A \cdot \frac{n-1}{n} + A\left(1 - \frac{n-1}{n}x\right) \cdot \frac{B}{2}}{A \cdot \frac{n-1}{n} + \frac{B}{2}} |\alpha_k| \\ &= \frac{AB}{2A + B - \frac{2A}{n}} |\alpha_k| \\ &\ge \frac{AB}{2A + B} |\alpha_k|. \end{aligned}

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