Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /8 of 22

Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it United States

Let nn be a positive even integer, and let c1,c2,,cn1c_1, c_2, \dots, c_{n-1} be real numbers satisfying
i=1n1ci1<1. \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |c_i - 1| < 1.
Prove that
2xncn1xn1+cn2xn2c1x+2 2x^n - c_{n-1}x^{n-1} + c_{n-2}x^{n-2} - \dots - c_1x + 2
has no real roots.

Solution

Denote P(x)=2xncn1xn1+cn2xn2c1x+2P(x) = 2x^n - c_{n-1}x^{n-1} + c_{n-2}x^{n-2} - \dots - c_1x + 2. Since ci(0,2)c_i \in (0, 2) for all 1in11 \le i \le n-1, it follows P(x)2>0P(x) \ge 2 > 0 for all x0x \le 0. It remains to prove P(x)>0P(x) > 0 also for all x>0x > 0. Let ci=1+ϵic_i = 1 + \epsilon_i, so i=1n1ϵi<1\sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |\epsilon_i| < 1. Then for x>0x > 0 we have
P(x)=(xnxn1+xn2x+1)+xn+1+i=1n1(1)iϵixi. P(x) = (x^n - x^{n-1} + x^{n-2} - \dots - x + 1) + x^n + 1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i.
We have xnxn1+xn2x+1=xn+1+1x+1>12>0x^n - x^{n-1} + x^{n-2} - \dots - x + 1 = \frac{x^{n+1}+1}{x+1} > \frac{1}{2} > 0 since 2xn+1x+1>02x^{n+1} - x + 1 > 0 (for x1x \ge 1 we have xn+1x0x^{n+1} - x \ge 0 while for x1x \le 1 we have 1x01 - x \ge 0).

For 0<x10 < x \le 1 we have (by the triangle inequality)
i=1n1(1)iϵixii=1n1(1)iϵixii=1n1ϵi<1, \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i \right| \le \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |(-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i| \le \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |\epsilon_i| < 1,
and so
xn+1+i=1n1(1)iϵixixn+1i=1n1(1)iϵixi>xn>0. x^n + 1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i \ge x^n + 1 - \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i \right| > x^n > 0.
For 1x1 \le x we have essentially the same argument, but with the role of xx above replaced by 1/x1/x:
i=1n1(1)iϵi(1/x)nii=1n1(1)iϵi(1/x)nii=1n1ϵi<1, \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i (1/x)^{n-i} \right| \le \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |(-1)^i \epsilon_i (1/x)^{n-i}| \le \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |\epsilon_i| < 1,
and so
xn+1+i=1n1(1)iϵixi=xn(1+(1/x)n+i=1n1(1)iϵi(1/x)ni)xn(1+(1/x)ni=1n1(1)iϵi(1/x)ni)>1>0. x^n+1+\sum_{i=1}^{n-1}(-1)^i \epsilon_i x^i = x^n \left( 1 + (1/x)^n + \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i (1/x)^{n-i} \right) \ge x^n \left( 1 + (1/x)^n - \left| \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (-1)^i \epsilon_i (1/x)^{n-i} \right| \right) > 1 > 0.
Thus P(x)>12>0P(x) > \frac{1}{2} > 0, with room to spare, so we may either relax the condition i=1n1ci1<1\sum_{i=1}^{n-1} |c_i - 1| < 1 or lower the free term of P(x)P(x) to 32\frac{3}{2}.

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 reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.