Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it North Macedonia

Let p1,p2,,p2009R+p_1, p_2, \dots, p_{2009} \in \mathbb{R}^+. Prove the inequality
i=12009pipi+1+pi+2++pi+100420091004, \sum_{i=1}^{2009} \frac{p_i}{p_{i+1} + p_{i+2} + \dots + p_{i+1004}} \ge \frac{2009}{1004},
where the indexes are taken mod 20092009.

Solution

Denote
L=p1p2+p3++p1005+p2p3+p4++p1006++p2009p1+p2++p1004 L = \frac{p_1}{p_2 + p_3 + \dots + p_{1005}} + \frac{p_2}{p_3 + p_4 + \dots + p_{1006}} + \dots + \frac{p_{2009}}{p_1 + p_2 + \dots + p_{1004}}
We will use the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in the form:
For every a1,a2,,anRa_1, a_2, \dots, a_n \in \mathbb{R}, b1,b2,,bnR+b_1, b_2, \dots, b_n \in \mathbb{R}^+ it holds
a12b1+a22b2++an2bn(a1+a2++an)2b1+b2++bn \frac{a_1^2}{b_1} + \frac{a_2^2}{b_2} + \dots + \frac{a_n^2}{b_n} \ge \frac{(a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n)^2}{b_1 + b_2 + \dots + b_n}
with an equality iff
a1b1=a2b2==anbn. \frac{a_1}{b_1} = \frac{a_2}{b_2} = \dots = \frac{a_n}{b_n}.
Then

L=p12p1(p2+p3++p1005)+p22p2(p3+p4++p1006)++p20092p2009(p1+p2++p1004) L = \frac{p_1^2}{p_1(p_2 + p_3 + \dots + p_{1005})} + \frac{p_2^2}{p_2(p_3 + p_4 + \dots + p_{1006})} + \dots \\ \qquad + \frac{p_{2009}^2}{p_{2009}(p_1 + p_2 + \dots + p_{1004})}
SO
L(p1+p2++p2009)2i=12009pi(pi+1++pi+1004). L \ge \frac{(p_1 + p_2 + \dots + p_{2009})^2}{\sum_{i=1}^{2009} p_i (p_{i+1} + \dots + p_{i+1004})}.
Notice that the denominator of the last fraction is i,j:i<jpipj\sum_{i,j:i<j} p_i p_j. Let
α=(p1+p2++p2009)2i=12009pi(pi+1++pi+1004). \alpha = \frac{(p_1 + p_2 + \dots + p_{2009})^2}{\sum_{i=1}^{2009} p_i (p_{i+1} + \dots + p_{i+1004})}.
Then (pi)2=α2((pi)2(pi2))(\sum p_i)^2 = \frac{\alpha}{2}((\sum p_i)^2 - (\sum p_i^2)), so we have
α2pi2=(α21)(pi)2i.e.αα2(pi2)=(pi)2. \frac{\alpha}{2} \sum p_i^2 = \left(\frac{\alpha}{2} - 1\right) \left(\sum p_i\right)^2 \quad \text{i.e.} \quad \frac{\alpha}{\alpha-2} \left(\sum p_i^2\right) = \left(\sum p_i\right)^2.
So 0<αα220090 < \frac{\alpha}{\alpha-2} \le 2009 (we get the second inequality from Cauchy-Schwarz or the inequality between the quadratic and arithmetic mean). This inequality is actually equivalent to α20091004\alpha \ge \frac{2009}{1004}. Thus, L20091004L \ge \frac{2009}{1004} and equality holds iff
p1=p2==p2009.p_1 = p_2 = \dots = p_{2009}.

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