AlgebraDifficulty 8.3ShortlistProve itUnited States
Let n be a positive even integer, and let c1,c2,…,cn−1 be real numbers satisfying i=1∑n−1∣ci−1∣<1. Prove that 2xn−cn−1xn−1+cn−2xn−2−⋯−c1x+2 has no real roots.
Solution
Denote P(x)=2xn−cn−1xn−1+cn−2xn−2−⋯−c1x+2. Since ci∈(0,2) for all 1≤i≤n−1, it follows P(x)≥2>0 for all x≤0. It remains to prove P(x)>0 also for all x>0. Let ci=1+ϵi, so ∑i=1n−1∣ϵi∣<1. Then for x>0 we have P(x)=(xn−xn−1+xn−2−⋯−x+1)+xn+1+i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵixi. We have xn−xn−1+xn−2−⋯−x+1=x+1xn+1+1>21>0 since 2xn+1−x+1>0 (for x≥1 we have xn+1−x≥0 while for x≤1 we have 1−x≥0).
For 0<x≤1 we have (by the triangle inequality) i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵixi≤i=1∑n−1∣(−1)iϵixi∣≤i=1∑n−1∣ϵi∣<1, and so xn+1+i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵixi≥xn+1−i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵixi>xn>0. For 1≤x we have essentially the same argument, but with the role of x above replaced by 1/x: i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵi(1/x)n−i≤i=1∑n−1∣(−1)iϵi(1/x)n−i∣≤i=1∑n−1∣ϵi∣<1, and so xn+1+i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵixi=xn(1+(1/x)n+i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵi(1/x)n−i)≥xn(1+(1/x)n−i=1∑n−1(−1)iϵi(1/x)n−i)>1>0. Thus P(x)>21>0, with room to spare, so we may either relax the condition ∑i=1n−1∣ci−1∣<1 or lower the free term of P(x) to 23.
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