Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /32 of 38

Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Given an integer n>0n > 0 and real numbers x1x2xnx_1 \le x_2 \le \dots \le x_n, y1y2yny_1 \ge y_2 \ge \dots \ge y_n, satisfying i=1nixi=i=1niyi\sum_{i=1}^n ix_i = \sum_{i=1}^n iy_i. Prove that for any real number α\alpha, i=1nxi[iα]i=1nyi[iα]\sum_{i=1}^n x_i[i\alpha] \ge \sum_{i=1}^n y_i[i\alpha], where [β][\beta] is defined as the greatest integer less than or equal to β\beta.

Solution

Proof I We need the following lemma.
Lemma For any real number α\alpha and positive number nn, we have
i=1n1[iα]n12[nα].1 \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} [i\alpha] \le \frac{n-1}{2} [n\alpha]. \qquad \textcircled{1}
The lemma is obtained by summing inequalities
[iα]+[(ni)α][nα] [i\alpha] + [(n-i)\alpha] \le [n\alpha]
for i=1,2,,n1i = 1, 2, \dots, n-1.

Return to the original problem. We will prove it by induction. For n=1n = 1, it is obviously true.
Assume that for n=kn = k, it is also true. Now consider n=k+1n = k + 1. Let ai=xi+2kxi+1a_i = x_i + \frac{2}{k}x_{i+1}, bi=yi+2kyi+1b_i = y_i + \frac{2}{k}y_{i+1} for i=1,2,,ki = 1, 2, \dots, k. Then we have a1a2aka_1 \le a_2 \le \dots \le a_k, b1b2bkb_1 \ge b_2 \ge \dots \ge b_k and i=1kiai=i=1kibi\sum_{i=1}^k ia_i = \sum_{i=1}^k ib_i. By induction we get i=1kai[iα]i=1kbi[iα]\sum_{i=1}^k a_i[i\alpha] \ge \sum_{i=1}^k b_i[i\alpha].

In addition, xk+1yk+1x_{k+1} \ge y_{k+1}. Otherwise, if xk+1<yk+1x_{k+1} < y_{k+1}, we have
x1x2xk+1<yk+1y2y1. x_1 \le x_2 \le \dots \le x_{k+1} < y_{k+1} \le \dots \le y_2 \le y_1.
This contradicts i=1k+1ixi=i=1k+1iyi\sum_{i=1}^{k+1} ix_i = \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} iy_i. So we have
i=1k+1xi[iα]i=1kai[iα]=xk+1{[(k+1)α]2ki=1k[iα]}yk+1{[(k+1)α]2ki=1k[iα]}=i=1k+1yi[iα]i=1kbi[iα]. \begin{aligned} \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} x_i[i\alpha] - \sum_{i=1}^k a_i[i\alpha] &= x_{k+1} \left\{ \left[ (k+1)\alpha \right] - \frac{2}{k} \sum_{i=1}^k [i\alpha] \right\} \\ &\ge y_{k+1} \left\{ \left[ (k+1)\alpha \right] - \frac{2}{k} \sum_{i=1}^k [i\alpha] \right\} \\ &= \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} y_i[i\alpha] - \sum_{i=1}^k b_i[i\alpha]. \end{aligned}
That means i=1k+1xi[iα]i=1k+1yi[iα]. \text{That means } \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} x_i[i\alpha] \ge \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} y_i[i\alpha].
By induction, we complete the proof for any integer n>0n > 0.

Proof II Define zi=xiyiz_i = x_i - y_i for i=1,2,,ni = 1, 2, \dots, n, we have z1z2znz_1 \le z_2 \le \dots \le z_n and i=1nizi=0\sum_{i=1}^n iz_i = 0. We only need to prove that
i=1nzi[iα]0.2 \sum_{i=1}^{n} z_i[i\alpha] \ge 0. \qquad \textcircled{2}
Let Δ1=z1,Δ2=z2z1,,Δn=znzn1\Delta_1 = z_1, \Delta_2 = z_2 - z_1, \dots, \Delta_n = z_n - z_{n-1}. Then zi=j=1iΔjz_i = \sum_{j=1}^i \Delta_j (1in1 \le i \le n), and
0=i=1nizi=i=1nij=1iΔj=j=1nΔji=jni. 0 = \sum_{i=1}^{n} iz_{i} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} i \sum_{j=1}^{i} \Delta_{j} = \sum_{j=1}^{n} \Delta_{j} \sum_{i=j}^{n} i.
So we have
Δ1=j=2nΔji=jni/i=1ni.3 \Delta_1 = - \sum_{j=2}^{n} \Delta_j \sum_{i=j}^{n} i / \sum_{i=1}^{n} i. \qquad \textcircled{3}
Then
i=1nzi[iα]=i=1n[iα]j=1iΔj=j=1nΔji=jn[iα]=j=2nΔji=jn[iα]j=2nΔj(i=jni/i=1ni)i=1n[iα]=j=2nΔji=jni(i=jn[iα]/i=jnii=1n[iα]/i=1ni). \begin{aligned} \sum_{i=1}^{n} z_i[i\alpha] &= \sum_{i=1}^{n} [i\alpha] \sum_{j=1}^{i} \Delta_j = \sum_{j=1}^{n} \Delta_j \sum_{i=j}^{n} [i\alpha] \\ &= \sum_{j=2}^{n} \Delta_j \sum_{i=j}^{n} [i\alpha] - \sum_{j=2}^{n} \Delta_j \left( \sum_{i=j}^{n} i / \sum_{i=1}^{n} i \right) \sum_{i=1}^{n} [i\alpha] \\ &= \sum_{j=2}^{n} \Delta_j \sum_{i=j}^{n} i \cdot \left( \sum_{i=j}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=j}^{n} i - \sum_{i=1}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{n} i \right). \end{aligned}
Then, in order to prove 2\textcircled{2} we only need to prove that for any 2jn2 \le j \le n, the following inequality holds
i=jn[iα]/i=jnii=1n[iα]/i=1ni.4 \sum_{i=j}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=j}^{n} i \ge \sum_{i=1}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{n} i. \qquad \textcircled{4}
But
4i=jn[iα]/i=jnii=1j1[iα]/i=1j1ii=1n[iα]/i=1nii=1j1[iα]/i=1j1i. \begin{aligned} \textcircled{4} & \Leftrightarrow \sum_{i=j}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=j}^{n} i \ge \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} i \\ & \Leftrightarrow \sum_{i=1}^{n} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{n} i \ge \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{j-1} i. \end{aligned}
Then we only need to prove, for any k1k \ge 1,
i=1k+1[iα]/i=1k+1ii=1k[iα]/i=1ki, \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{k+1} i \ge \sum_{i=1}^{k} [i\alpha] / \sum_{i=1}^{k} i,
that is equivalent to prove
[(k+1)α]k/2i=1k[iα]i=1k([(k+1)α][iα][(k+1i)α])0. \begin{aligned} & [(k+1)\alpha] \cdot k/2 \ge \sum_{i=1}^{k} [i\alpha] \\ & \Leftrightarrow \sum_{i=1}^{k} \left( [(k+1)\alpha] - [i\alpha] - [(k+1-i)\alpha] \right) \ge 0. \end{aligned}
Note that, [x+y][x]+[y][x+y] \ge [x]+[y] holds for any real numbers x,yx, y, hence 4\textcircled{4} holds. The proof is complete.

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.