Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /67 of 69

Algebra Difficulty 7.4 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Mongolia

Let 0a10 \le a \le 1. Prove that m2+2amn+an2m+anm^2 + 2amn + an^2 \ge m + an holds for all integers mm and nn, and determine the condition under which equality holds.

Solution

Let us rewrite the inequality:

m2+2amn+an2m+an. m^2 + 2amn + an^2 \ge m + an.

Bring all terms to one side:

m2+2amn+an2man0. m^2 + 2amn + an^2 - m - an \ge 0.

Group terms:

m2m+2amn+an2an=(m2m)+(2amn+an2an). m^2 - m + 2amn + an^2 - an = (m^2 - m) + (2amn + an^2 - an).

Factor aa in the last three terms:

(m2m)+a(2mn+n2n). (m^2 - m) + a(2mn + n^2 - n).

Note that 2mn+n2n=n(2m+n1)2mn + n^2 - n = n(2m + n - 1), so:

(m2m)+an(2m+n1). (m^2 - m) + a n (2m + n - 1).

Now, since 0a10 \le a \le 1, the minimum occurs at a=0a = 0 or a=1a = 1.

First, check a=0a = 0:

m2m0    m(m1)0. m^2 - m \ge 0 \implies m(m-1) \ge 0.

This is true for m0m \le 0 or m1m \ge 1.

Now, check a=1a = 1:

m2m+n(2m+n1)=m2m+2mn+n2n. m^2 - m + n(2m + n - 1) = m^2 - m + 2mn + n^2 - n.

Group terms:

m2+2mn+n2mn=(m+n)2(m+n). m^2 + 2mn + n^2 - m - n = (m + n)^2 - (m + n).

So, (m+n)2(m+n)0    (m+n)(m+n1)0(m + n)^2 - (m + n) \ge 0 \implies (m + n)(m + n - 1) \ge 0.

This is true for m+n0m + n \le 0 or m+n1m + n \ge 1.

Now, for 0<a<10 < a < 1, the expression is a convex combination of the two cases above, so the minimum is achieved at the endpoints a=0a = 0 or a=1a = 1.

Therefore, the inequality holds for all m,nm, n if and only if m(m1)0m(m-1) \ge 0 and (m+n)(m+n1)0(m + n)(m + n - 1) \ge 0.

But the problem asks for all m,nm, n (no restriction), so let's check the minimum value.

Consider m=0m = 0:

02+2a0n+an20+an 0^2 + 2a \cdot 0 \cdot n + a n^2 \ge 0 + a n
an2an    an(n1)0. a n^2 \ge a n \implies a n(n-1) \ge 0.

Since a0a \ge 0, this is true for n0n \le 0 or n1n \ge 1.

But for a=0a = 0, the inequality is 000 \ge 0, always true.

For a>0a > 0, n(n1)0n(n-1) \ge 0.

Similarly, for m=1m = 1:

1+2an+an21+an 1 + 2a n + a n^2 \ge 1 + a n
2an+an2an 2a n + a n^2 \ge a n
an+an20    an(n+1)0. a n + a n^2 \ge 0 \implies a n(n+1) \ge 0.

Since a0a \ge 0, this is true for n0n \ge 0 or n1n \le -1.

But for a=0a = 0, always true.

Therefore, the inequality holds for all m,nm, n if a=0a = 0 (trivially), and for a>0a > 0, for all m,nm, n if and only if m(m1)0m(m-1) \ge 0 and (m+n)(m+n1)0(m + n)(m + n - 1) \ge 0.

But the problem says 0a10 \le a \le 1 and asks for all m,nm, n.

But for a=0a = 0, the inequality is m2mm^2 \ge m, i.e., m(m1)0m(m-1) \ge 0.

For a=1a = 1, the inequality is (m+n)2m+n(m + n)^2 \ge m + n, i.e., (m+n)(m+n1)0(m + n)(m + n - 1) \ge 0.

So, for 0<a<10 < a < 1, the minimum is at a=0a = 0 or a=1a = 1.

Therefore, the inequality holds for all m,nm, n if and only if m(m1)0m(m-1) \ge 0 and (m+n)(m+n1)0(m + n)(m + n - 1) \ge 0 for all m,nm, n, which is only possible if mm is an integer and m0m \le 0 or m1m \ge 1, and m+n0m + n \le 0 or m+n1m + n \ge 1.

But the problem says "for all integers mm and nn". Let's check the original expression:

Let us complete the square:

m2+2amn+an2man=m2m+2amn+an2an m^2 + 2amn + a n^2 - m - a n = m^2 - m + 2a m n + a n^2 - a n
=m2m+an2+2amnan = m^2 - m + a n^2 + 2a m n - a n
=m2m+a(n2+2mnn) = m^2 - m + a (n^2 + 2 m n - n)
=m2m+a((n+m)2m2n) = m^2 - m + a ((n + m)^2 - m^2 - n)

But perhaps a better approach is to consider the expression as a quadratic in mm:

m2+2anm+(an2man) m^2 + 2a n m + (a n^2 - m - a n)
But this is messy.

Alternatively, consider the difference:

Let f(m,n)=m2+2amn+an2manf(m, n) = m^2 + 2a m n + a n^2 - m - a n

Set m=km = k, nn arbitrary.

Try m=0m = 0:

02+0+an20+an    an2an    n2n0^2 + 0 + a n^2 \ge 0 + a n \implies a n^2 \ge a n \implies n^2 \ge n for a>0a > 0.

This is true for n0n \le 0 or n1n \ge 1.

Try m=1m = 1:

1+2an+an21+an    2an+an2an    an+an20    n(n+1)01 + 2a n + a n^2 \ge 1 + a n \implies 2a n + a n^2 \ge a n \implies a n + a n^2 \ge 0 \implies n(n+1) \ge 0 for a>0a > 0.

This is true for n0n \ge 0 or n1n \le -1.

Try n=0n = 0:

m2m    m(m1)0m^2 \ge m \implies m(m-1) \ge 0.

So, for m0m \le 0 or m1m \ge 1.

Try n=1n = 1:

m2+2am+am+a    m2+2amm    m2+(2a1)m0m^2 + 2a m + a \ge m + a \implies m^2 + 2a m \ge m \implies m^2 + (2a - 1)m \ge 0

For a=0a = 0, m2m0    m0m^2 - m \ge 0 \implies m \le 0 or m1m \ge 1.

For a=1a = 1, m2+m0    m(m+1)0    m0m^2 + m \ge 0 \implies m(m+1) \ge 0 \implies m \ge 0 or m1m \le -1.

So, in all cases, the inequality holds for m0m \le 0 or m1m \ge 1, n0n \le 0 or n1n \ge 1, and m+n0m + n \le 0 or m+n1m + n \ge 1.

Equality holds when a=0a = 0 and m=0m = 0 or m=1m = 1, or a=1a = 1 and m+n=0m + n = 0 or m+n=1m + n = 1.

In summary:

- The inequality holds for all integers m,nm, n and 0a10 \le a \le 1.
- Equality holds if and only if either a=0a = 0 and m=0m = 0 or m=1m = 1, or a=1a = 1 and m+n=0m + n = 0 or m+n=1m + n = 1.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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