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Belarus — Final Round

Algebra Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Belarus

Find all real x≥−1x \ge -1 such that the inequality
a1+x2⋅a2+x2⋅⋯⋅an+x2≤a1a2…an+x2 \frac{a_1 + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_2 + x}{2} \cdot \dots \cdot \frac{a_n + x}{2} \le \frac{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n + x}{2}
holds for all a1,…,an≥1a_1, \dots, a_n \ge 1, where n≥2n \ge 2.

Solution

If x≥−1x \ge -1 satisfies the problem condition, then setting a1=a2=⋯=an=1a_1 = a_2 = \dots = a_n = 1 in the given inequality:
a1+x2⋅a2+x2⋅⋯⋅an+x2≤a1a2…an+x2(1) \frac{a_1 + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_2 + x}{2} \cdot \dots \cdot \frac{a_n + x}{2} \le \frac{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n + x}{2} \quad (1)
we obtain the inequality (1+x2)n≤1+x2\left(\frac{1 + x}{2}\right)^n \le \frac{1 + x}{2}, which yields x≤1x \le 1.
We prove, by induction on n≥2n \ge 2, that for x∈[−1,1]x \in [-1, 1] inequality (1) holds for all n∈Nn \in \mathbb{N} and all a1,…,an≥1a_1, \dots, a_n \ge 1.
For n=2n=2 inequality (1) has the form:
a1+x2⋅a2+x2≤a1a2+x2,(2) \frac{a_1 + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_2 + x}{2} \le \frac{a_1 a_2 + x}{2}, \quad (2)
which is equivalent to:
x2+(a1+a2−2)x−a1a2≤0. x^2 + (a_1 + a_2 - 2)x - a_1 a_2 \le 0.
The last inequality holds for all x∈[−1,1]x \in [-1, 1] and all a1,a2≥1a_1, a_2 \ge 1. Indeed,
x2+(a1+a2−2)x−a1a2≤1+(a1+a2−2)⋅1−a1a2=a1+a2−a1a2−1=−(a1−1)(a2−1)≤0. \begin{aligned} & x^2 + (a_1 + a_2 - 2)x - a_1 a_2 \le 1 + (a_1 + a_2 - 2) \cdot 1 - a_1 a_2 \\ & = a_1 + a_2 - a_1 a_2 - 1 = -(a_1 - 1)(a_2 - 1) \le 0. \end{aligned}
The base of induction is proved.
If we suppose that inequality (1) holds for some n≥2n \ge 2, then from (1) and (2) it follows that:
a1+x2⋅a2+x2⋅⋯⋅an+x2⋅an+1+x2≤a1a2…an+x2⋅an+1+x2≤≤a1a2…anan+1+x2,(3) \begin{aligned} & \frac{a_1 + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_2 + x}{2} \cdot \dots \cdot \frac{a_n + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_{n+1} + x}{2} \le \frac{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n + x}{2} \cdot \frac{a_{n+1} + x}{2} \le \\ & \le \frac{a_1 a_2 \dots a_n a_{n+1} + x}{2}, \end{aligned} \quad (3)
as required.

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