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Algebra Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Prove it North Macedonia

Let a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n be real numbers such that a1+a2++an=0a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 0. Prove that:
nn1min{a1,a2,,an}min{a1,a2}+min{a2,a3}++min{an,a1}. \frac{n}{n-1} \min\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} \ge \min\{a_1, a_2\} + \min\{a_2, a_3\} + \dots + \min\{a_n, a_1\}.

Solution

Firstly, we will prove one useful statement:
Lemma. If x1,x2,,xn1Rx_1, x_2, \dots, x_{n-1} \in \mathbb{R} are such that x1+x2++xn1=0x_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_{n-1} = 0, then
x1+x1x2+x2x3++xn2xn1+xn10 x_1 + |x_1 - x_2| + |x_2 - x_3| + \dots + |x_{n-2} - x_{n-1}| + x_{n-1} \ge 0
(1)
Proof. It is clear that if x1+xn10x_1 + x_{n-1} \ge 0 the inequality (1) is true.
If x1+xn1<0x_1 + x_{n-1} < 0, then there exists ii, 2in22 \le i \le n-2 such that xi>0x_i > 0. From the properties of absolute value we have
x1x2+x2x3++xn2xn1x1xi+xixn1=xix1+xixn1xix1+xixn1=2xix1xn1x1xn1 \begin{aligned} & |x_1 - x_2| + |x_2 - x_3| + \dots + |x_{n-2} - x_{n-1}| \ge |x_1 - x_i| + |x_i - x_{n-1}| \\ &= |x_i - x_1| + |x_i - x_{n-1}| \ge x_i - x_1 + x_i - x_{n-1} = 2x_i - x_1 - x_{n-1} \ge \\ & \ge -x_1 - x_{n-1} \end{aligned}
From where (1) follows.
Since there are no other cases, we get that (1) is true, which concludes the proof of the lemma.

If we now use the equality ab=a+b2min{a,b}|a-b| = a+b - 2\min\{a,b\}, the inequality (1) is equivalent to the inequality
x1+x1+x22min{x1,x2}+x2+x32min{x2,x3}++xn2+xn12min{xn2,xn1}+xn10x1+x2++xn1min{x1,x2}+min{x2,x3}++min{xn2,xn1}0min{x1,x2}+min{x2,x3}++min{xn2,xn1}. \begin{align*} x_1 + x_1 + x_2 - 2\min\{x_1, x_2\} + x_2 + x_3 - 2\min\{x_2, x_3\} + \dots + x_{n-2} + x_{n-1} - 2\min\{x_{n-2}, x_{n-1}\} + x_{n-1} \ge 0 \\ x_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_{n-1} \ge \min\{x_1, x_2\} + \min\{x_2, x_3\} + \dots + \min\{x_{n-2}, x_{n-1}\} \\ 0 \ge \min\{x_1, x_2\} + \min\{x_2, x_3\} + \dots + \min\{x_{n-2}, x_{n-1}\}. \tag{2} \end{align*}
Now, let x1,x2,,xn1Rx_1, x_2, \dots, x_{n-1} \in \mathbb{R} be arbitrary real numbers (their sum need not be equal to 0). If we homogenize this sequence,
x11n1i=1n1xi,x21n1i=1n1xi,,xn11n1i=1n1xi, x_1 - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i, x_2 - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i, \dots, x_{n-1} - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i,
then we have
x11n1i=1n1xi+x21n1i=1n1xi++xn11n1i=1n1xi=i=1n1xin1n1i=1n1xi=0. x_1 - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i + x_2 - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i + \dots + x_{n-1} - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i = \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i - \frac{n-1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i = 0.
Therefore, for this sequence the conditions of the lemma as well as inequality (2) are fulfilled.
If we use the equality
min{xj1n1i=1n1xi,xj+11n1i=1n1xi}=min{xj,xj+1}1n1i=1n1xi, \min \left\{ x_j - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i, x_{j+1} - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i \right\} = \min \{x_j, x_{j+1}\} - \frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i,
and we substitute it in (2), we get the inequality
n2n1i=1n1ximin{x1,x2}+min{x2,x3}++min{xn2,xn1}(3) \frac{n-2}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i \geq \min\{x_1, x_2\} + \min\{x_2, x_3\} + \dots + \min\{x_{n-2}, x_{n-1}\} \quad (3)
Now we return to the proof of the problem statement. Without loss of generality we can assume
that an=min{a1,a2,,an1,an}a_n = \min\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_{n-1}, a_n\}. If, otherwise, ai=min{a1,a2,,ani1,an}a_i = \min\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_{n-i-1}, a_n\} for some ii, 1in11 \le i \le n-1
then we consider the sequence b1=ai+1,,bni=an,bni+1=ai1,,bn=aib_1 = a_{i+1}, \dots, b_{n-i} = a_n, b_{n-i+1} = a_{i-1}, \dots, b_n = a_i.
Therefore, if we choose xi=aix_i = a_i, for i=1,2,,n1i = 1, 2, \dots, n-1, by substituting in (3), we get
n2n1i=1n1aimin{a1,a2}+min{a2,a3}++min{an2,an1}. But from the condition a1+a2++an1=an, we get \begin{gather*} \frac{n-2}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} a_i \ge \min\{a_1, a_2\} + \min\{a_2, a_3\} + \dots + \min\{a_{n-2}, a_{n-1}\}. \text{ But from the condition } \\ a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_{n-1} = -a_n, \text{ we get} \end{gather*}
n2n1anmin{a1,a2}+min{a2,a3}++min{an2,an1}. \frac{n-2}{n-1} a_n \ge \min\{a_1, a_2\} + \min\{a_2, a_3\} + \dots + \min\{a_{n-2}, a_{n-1}\}.
From the equalities $a_n = \min\{a_{n-1}, a_n\}$ and $a_n = \min\{a_n, a_1\}$, we get
2a_n - \frac{n-2}{n-1} a_n \geq \min\{a_1, a_2\} + \min\{a_2, a_3\} + \dots + \min\{a_{n-2}, a_{n-1}\} + \min\{a_{n-1}, a_n\} + \min\{a_n, a_1\}
i.e. i.e.
\frac{n}{n-1} \min\{a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n\} \geq \min\{a_1, a_2\} + \min\{a_2, a_3\} + \dots + \min\{a_n, a_1\},

Q.E.D.

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