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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Prove it JBMO

Problem:
Let nn be a positive integer, and let x1,,xn,y1,,ynx_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}, y_{1}, \ldots, y_{n} be positive real numbers such that x1++xn=y1++yn=1x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}=y_{1}+\ldots+y_{n}=1. Show that
x1y1++xnyn2min1inxiyimin1inyixi \left|x_{1}-y_{1}\right|+\ldots+\left|x_{n}-y_{n}\right| \leq 2-\min_{1 \leq i \leq n} \frac{x_{i}}{y_{i}}-\min_{1 \leq i \leq n} \frac{y_{i}}{x_{i}}

Solution

Solution:
Up to reordering the real numbers xix_{i} and yiy_{i}, we may assume that x1y1xnyn\frac{x_{1}}{y_{1}} \leq \ldots \leq \frac{x_{n}}{y_{n}}. Let A=x1y1A=\frac{x_{1}}{y_{1}} and B=xnynB=\frac{x_{n}}{y_{n}}, and S=x1y1++xnynS=\left|x_{1}-y_{1}\right|+\ldots+\left|x_{n}-y_{n}\right|. Our aim is to prove that S2A1BS \leq 2-A-\frac{1}{B}.

First, note that we cannot have A>1A>1, since that would imply xi>yix_{i}>y_{i} for all ini \leq n, hence x1++xn>y1++ynx_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}>y_{1}+\ldots+y_{n}. Similarly, we cannot have B<1B<1, since that would imply xi<yix_{i}<y_{i} for all ini \leq n, hence x1++xn<y1++ynx_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}<y_{1}+\ldots+y_{n}.

If n=1n=1, then x1=y1=A=B=1x_{1}=y_{1}=A=B=1 and S=0S=0, hence S2A1BS \leq 2-A-\frac{1}{B}.

For n2n \geq 2 let 1k<n1 \leq k<n be some integer such that xkyk1xk+1yk+1\frac{x_{k}}{y_{k}} \leq 1 \leq \frac{x_{k+1}}{y_{k+1}}. We define the positive real numbers X1=x1++xkX_{1}=x_{1}+\ldots+x_{k}, X2=xk+1++xnX_{2}=x_{k+1}+\ldots+x_{n}, Y1=y1++ykY_{1}=y_{1}+\ldots+y_{k}, Y2=yk+1++ynY_{2}=y_{k+1}+\ldots+y_{n}. Note that Y1X1AY1Y_{1} \geq X_{1} \geq A Y_{1} and Y2X2BY2Y_{2} \leq X_{2} \leq B Y_{2}. Thus, AX1Y11X2Y2BA \leq \frac{X_{1}}{Y_{1}} \leq 1 \leq \frac{X_{2}}{Y_{2}} \leq B. In addition, S=Y1X1+X2Y2S=Y_{1}-X_{1}+X_{2}-Y_{2}.

From 0<X2,Y11,0Y1X10<X_{2}, Y_{1} \leq 1, 0 \leq Y_{1}-X_{1} and 0X2Y20 \leq X_{2}-Y_{2}, follows
S=Y1X1+X2Y2=Y1X1Y1+X2Y2X2=2X1Y1Y2X22A1B S=Y_{1}-X_{1}+X_{2}-Y_{2}=\frac{Y_{1}-X_{1}}{Y_{1}}+\frac{X_{2}-Y_{2}}{X_{2}}=2-\frac{X_{1}}{Y_{1}}-\frac{Y_{2}}{X_{2}} \leq 2-A-\frac{1}{B}

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.