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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Show that there exist a sequence (an)n0(a_n)_{n \ge 0}, with an{1,+1}a_n \in \{-1, +1\} for all n0n \ge 0, such that
limn(n+a1+n+a2++n+annn+a0)=12. \lim_{n \to \infty} (\sqrt{n+a_1} + \sqrt{n+a_2} + \dots + \sqrt{n+a_n} - n\sqrt{n+a_0}) = \frac{1}{2}.

Solution

Obviously, a0=1a_0 = -1. For each nNn \in \mathbb{N}^*, denote by knk_n the number of terms among a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n which are equal to 11 (the other being 1-1). Then, the sequence (xn)n0(x_n)_{n \ge 0} whose limit must be 12\frac{1}{2} is xn=knn+1knn1x_n = k_n\sqrt{n+1} - k_n\sqrt{n-1}, or
xn=2knn+1+n1=2knn1+1n+11n. x_n = \frac{2k_n}{\sqrt{n+1} + \sqrt{n-1}} = \frac{2\frac{k_n}{\sqrt{n}}}{\sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{n}} + \sqrt{1 - \frac{1}{n}}}.
It is enough to construct (an)n1(a_n)_{n \ge 1} such that limnknn=12\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{k_n}{\sqrt{n}} = \frac{1}{2}. (*)
Let us choose an=1a_n = 1 if and only if n=(2m)2n = (2m)^2, with mNm \in \mathbb{N}^*. Then (2kn)2n<(2(kn+1))2(2k_n)^2 \le n < (2(k_n + 1))^2, whence n21<knn2\frac{\sqrt{n}}{2} - 1 < k_n \le \frac{\sqrt{n}}{2}, which guarantees (*).

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