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Algebra Difficulty 7.2 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ukraine

Find the largest fraction out of 1010 fractions given below:
12019,1+20182019+2,1+2018+32019+2+2017,1+2018+3+20162019+2+2017+4,1+2018+3+2016+52019+2+2017+4+2015,,1+2018+3+2016+...+10092019+2+2017+4+...+1011,1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+10102019+2+2017+4+...+1011+1010,1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+...+1008+10102019+2+2017+4+...+1011+...+1010+1010.1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+...+1008+10102019+2+2017+4+...+1011+...+1010+1010.12019 \begin{array}{ccccccc} \frac{1}{2019}, & \frac{1+2018}{2019+2}, & \frac{1+2018+3}{2019+2+2017}, & \frac{1+2018+3+2016}{2019+2+2017+4}, & \\ & \frac{1+2018+3+2016+5}{2019+2+2017+4+2015}, & \dots, & & \\ & & \frac{1+2018+3+2016+...+1009}{2019+2+2017+4+...+1011}, & \frac{1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+1010}{2019+2+2017+4+...+1011+1010}, & \\ & & & \frac{1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+...+1008+1010}{2019+2+2017+4+...+1011+...+1010+1010}. & \frac{1+2018+3+2016+...+1009+...+1008+1010}{2019+2+2017+4+...+1011+...+1010+1010}. & \frac{1}{2019} & \end{array}
(Bohdan Rublyov)

Solution

Let us split all fractions into two natural groups: those on the odd position and those on the even.
a1=12019,a2=1+2018+32019+2+2017=1+20212019+2019,a3=1+2018+3+2016+52019+2+2017+4+2015=1+2021+22019+2019+2,,a505=1+2018+3+2016+5++1012+10092019+2+2017+4+2015++1008+1011=1+2021+5042019+2019+504.b1=1+20182019+2=20192021,b2=1+2018+3+20162019+2+2017+4=2019+22021+2=20192021,b3=1+2018+3+2016+5+20142019+2+2017+4+2015+6=2019+32021+3=20192021,,b505=1+2018+3+2016+5++1012+1009+10102019+2+2017+4+2015++1008+1011+1010=2019+5052021+505=20192021. \begin{align*} a_1 &= \frac{1}{2019}, \\ a_2 &= \frac{1+2018+3}{2019+2+2017} = \frac{1+2021}{2019+2019}, \\ a_3 &= \frac{1+2018+3+2016+5}{2019+2+2017+4+2015} = \frac{1+2021+2}{2019+2019+2}, \dots, \\ a_{505} &= \frac{1+2018+3+2016+5+\dots+1012+1009}{2019+2+2017+4+2015+\dots+1008+1011} = \frac{1+2021+504}{2019+2019+504}. \\ b_1 &= \frac{1+2018}{2019+2} = \frac{2019}{2021}, \\ b_2 &= \frac{1+2018+3+2016}{2019+2+2017+4} = \frac{2019+2}{2021+2} = \frac{2019}{2021}, \\ b_3 &= \frac{1+2018+3+2016+5+2014}{2019+2+2017+4+2015+6} = \frac{2019+3}{2021+3} = \frac{2019}{2021}, \dots, \\ b_{505} &= \frac{1+2018+3+2016+5+\dots+1012+1009+1010}{2019+2+2017+4+2015+\dots+1008+1011+1010} = \frac{2019+505}{2021+505} = \frac{2019}{2021}. \end{align*}

In this way, all fractions denoted by bib_i, i=1,505i = 1, 505 are of the same value, 20192021\frac{2019}{2021}. Let us now compare values of aka_k and ak+1a_{k+1}:
ak+1ak=1+2021k2019+2019k1+2021(k1)2019+2019(k1)=(1+2021k)(2019+2021(k1))(1+2021k)(2019+2021k)(2019+2019(k1))(2019+2019k)>0 a_{k+1} - a_k = \frac{1+2021k}{2019+2019k} - \frac{1+2021(k-1)}{2019+2019(k-1)} = \frac{(1+2021k)(2019+2021(k-1)) - (1+2021k)(2019+2021k)}{(2019+2019(k-1))(2019+2019k)} > 0 \Leftrightarrow

2021 + 2021 \cdot (k-1) + 2021^2 k + 2021^2 k(k-1) - 2021 - 2021 \cdot k - 2021^2(k-1) - 2021^2 k(k-1) = 2021^2 - 2021 > 0
Therefore, the largest fraction would be $\frac{2019}{2021}$ or $a_{505} = \frac{1+2021\cdot504}{2019+2019\cdot504}$. Let us compare them.
\frac{1+2021\cdot504}{2019+2019\cdot504} - \frac{2019}{2021} = \frac{(1+2021\cdot504) \cdot 2021 - (2019+2019\cdot504) \cdot 2019}{(2019+2019\cdot504) \cdot 2021} < 0 \Leftrightarrow \\ 2021 + 2021 \cdot 2021 \cdot 504 - 2019^2 - 2019^2 \cdot 504 = \\ = 2021 + (2021^2 - 2019^2) \cdot 504 - 2019^2 = 2021 + 8080 \cdot 504 - 2019^2 = -2020 < 0.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.