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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Fix an integer n2n \ge 2. Consider nn real numbers a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n, not all equal, and let
d=d(a1,a2,,an)=max1i<jnaiaj d = d(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = \max_{1 \le i < j \le n} |a_i - a_j|
and
s=s(a1,a2,,an)=1i<jnaiaj. s = s(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = \sum_{1 \le i < j \le n} |a_i - a_j|.

Determine, in terms of nn, the smallest and the largest values the quotient s/ds/d may achieve.

Solution

The required minimum is n1n-1 and is achieved, for instance, by a1<a2==ana_1 < a_2 = \dots = a_n. The maximum is 12n12(n+1)\lfloor \frac{1}{2}n \rfloor \lfloor \frac{1}{2}(n+1) \rfloor and is achieved, for instance, by
a1==an/2<an/2+1==an. a_1 = \dots = a_{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor} < a_{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor+1} = \dots = a_n.
In each case, verification is routine and is hence omitted.

We now show that (n1)ds12n12(n+1)d(n-1)d \le s \le \lfloor \frac{1}{2}n \rfloor \lfloor \frac{1}{2}(n+1) \rfloor d. Clearly, we may and will assume a1a2ana_1 \le a_2 \le \dots \le a_n, so s=1i<jn(ajai)s = \sum_{1 \le i < j \le n} (a_j - a_i). Let dk=ak+1akd_k = a_{k+1} - a_k, k=1,,n1k = 1, \dots, n-1, so d=d1++dn1d = d_1 + \dots + d_{n-1}.

Express every ajaia_j - a_i, 1i<jn1 \le i < j \le n, and hence ss, in terms of the dkd_k: As dkd_k occurs as a summand in every ajaia_j - a_i, 1ik<k+1jn1 \le i \le k < k + 1 \le j \le n, and in no other ajaia_j - a_i, 1i<jn1 \le i < j \le n, it follows that s=k=1n1k(nk)dks = \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} k(n-k)d_k.

Finally, as min1kn1k(nk)=n1\min_{1 \le k \le n-1} k(n-k) = n-1 and max1kn1k(nk)=12n12(n+1)\max_{1 \le k \le n-1} k(n-k) = \lfloor \frac{1}{2}n \rfloor \lfloor \frac{1}{2}(n+1) \rfloor, it follows that
(n1)d=k=1n1(n1)dkk=1n1k(nk)dk=sk=1n112n12(n+1)dk==12n12(n+1)d, (n-1)d = \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} (n-1)d_k \le \underbrace{\sum_{k=1}^{n-1} k(n-k)d_k}_{=s} \le \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} \lfloor \frac{1}{2}n \rfloor \lfloor \frac{1}{2}(n+1) \rfloor d_k = \\ = \lfloor \frac{1}{2}n \rfloor \lfloor \frac{1}{2}(n+1) \rfloor d,
as desired. This ends the proof.

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