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Algebra Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it Romania

Let a1a_1, a2a_2, a3a_3, a4a_4, a5a_5 be five real numbers of zero sum, such that aiaj1|a_i - a_j| \le 1, for all i,j{1,2,3,4,5}i, j \in \{1, 2, 3, 4, 5\}. Prove that a12+a22+a32+a42+a5265a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2 + a_5^2 \le \frac{6}{5}.

Solution

Since 0=(a1+a2+a3+a4+a5)2=a12+a22+a32+a42+a52+2i<jaiaj0 = (a_1 + a_2 + a_3 + a_4 + a_5)^2 = a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2 + a_5^2 + 2 \sum_{i<j} a_i a_j, it follows that i<j(aiaj)2=4(a12+a22+a32+a42+a52)2i<jaiaj=5(a12+a22+a32+a42+a52)\sum_{i<j} (a_i - a_j)^2 = 4(a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2 + a_5^2) - 2 \sum_{i<j} a_i a_j = 5(a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2 + a_5^2). On the other side, i<j(aiaj)2i<jaiaj\sum_{i<j} (a_i - a_j)^2 \le \sum_{i<j} |a_i - a_j|, for aiaj1|a_i - a_j| \le 1. Assuming a1a2a3a4a5a_1 \le a_2 \le a_3 \le a_4 \le a_5, we have i<jaiaj=4(a5a1)+2(a4a2)4+2=6\sum_{i<j} |a_i - a_j| = 4(a_5 - a_1) + 2(a_4 - a_2) \le 4 + 2 = 6. So 5(a12+a22+a32+a42+a52)65(a_1^2 + a_2^2 + a_3^2 + a_4^2 + a_5^2) \le 6, as requested to be shown.

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