Solution:
The statement is true. To prove this, let us first indicate a possible strategy.
Fixing a sequence of integers 0<n1<n2<…, we divide the indices into disjoint intervals: the first interval comprises the indices 1,…,n1, the second the indices n1+1,…,n2, the third the indices n2+1,…,n3, and so on. Let us now set ai=xi if i belongs to an even interval (second, fourth, ..), and ai=0 otherwise; symmetrically, let us set bi=xi if i belongs to an odd interval and bi=0 otherwise. In this way it is evident that for every n one of an and bn coincides with xn, while the other equals zero, and therefore xn=an+bn for every n. Let us now show that, by choosing the sequence 0<n1<n2<… appropriately, one can arrange that there are infinitely many values of n for which a1+…+an≤n and infinitely many values of n for which b1+…+bn≤n.
Let us set n1=1: consequently the first interval consists of the single index 1 and therefore b1=x1,a1=0. In particular the first inequality (an1≤n1) is satisfied.
We now want to choose n2 so as to satisfy the second inequality (b1+b2+…+bn2≤n2). To this end, note that from 2 to n2 we are in the second interval of indices, and thus all the corresponding bi are zero: the second inequality therefore reduces to b1≤n2 and will thus be satisfied provided we take an n2 large enough (we can, for example, take the smallest integer greater than n1=1 and than b1).
Let us now move on to choosing n3 so as to satisfy the third inequality (a1+a2+…+an3≤n3). To this end, note that from n2+1 to n3 we are in the third interval of indices, and thus all the corresponding ai are zero: the third inequality therefore reduces to a1+a2+…+an2≤n3, an expression in which n3 appears only on the right-hand side, and which will therefore be satisfied provided we take n3 large enough (we can, for example, take the smallest integer greater than n2 and than a1+a2+…+an2).
We proceed analogously to choose n4,n5,…
This type of construction can be carried forward recursively. We give here a mathematically rigorous version of the idea presented above.
Proof of the statement. Given any sequence of numbers greater than or equal to zero x1,x2,x3,…, let us define a sequence of integers 0<n1<n2<n3<… and the sequences a1,a2,a3…,b1,b2,b3… as follows.
- n1=1,a1=0,b1=x1
- we define n2 as the smallest integer greater than n1=1 such that b1=x1≤n2; for i=2,…n2 we set ai=xi,bi=0.
Let us now suppose that we have defined n1,…,nk and ai,bi for i=1,…nk.
- if k=2h is even, we define n2h+1 as the smallest positive integer greater than n2h such that a1+⋯+a2h≤n2h+1; for i=n2h+1,…,n2h+1 we set ai=0,bi=xi;
- if k=2h+1 is odd, we define n2h+2 as the smallest positive integer greater than n2h+1 such that b1+⋯+b2h+1≤n2h+2; for i=n2h+1+1,…,n2h+2 we set ai=xi,bi=0.
From the construction it is clear that ai+bi=xi for every i and that
a1+⋯+ank≤nkb1+⋯+bnk≤nk if k is odd; if k is even.