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Algebra Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it United States

Let {an}n0\{a_n\}_{n \ge 0} be a sequence of real numbers such that an+1an2+15a_{n+1} \ge a_n^2 + \frac{1}{5} for all n0n \ge 0. Prove that an+5an52\sqrt{a_{n+5}} \ge a_{n-5}^2 for all n5n \ge 5.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

It suffices to prove that an+5an2a_{n+5} \ge a_n^2 for n0n \ge 0, for then we would have an+5an\sqrt{a_{n+5}} \ge a_n and anan52a_n \ge a_{n-5}^2 for all n5n \ge 5, which implies the desired result. Adding the inequalities
an+5an+42+15,an+4an+32+15,an+3an+22+15,an+2an+12+15,an+1an2+15 \begin{align*} a_{n+5} &\ge a_{n+4}^2 + \frac{1}{5}, \\ a_{n+4} &\ge a_{n+3}^2 + \frac{1}{5}, \\ a_{n+3} &\ge a_{n+2}^2 + \frac{1}{5}, \\ a_{n+2} &\ge a_{n+1}^2 + \frac{1}{5}, \\ a_{n+1} &\ge a_n^2 + \frac{1}{5} \end{align*}
yields
an+5k=14(an+k2an+k)+1+an2=k=14(an+k2an+k+14)+an2=k=14(an+k12)2+an2an2, \begin{align*} a_{n+5} &\ge \sum_{k=1}^{4} (a_{n+k}^2 - a_{n+k}) + 1 + a_n^2 \\ &= \sum_{k=1}^{4} \left( a_{n+k}^2 - a_{n+k} + \frac{1}{4} \right) + a_n^2 \\ &= \sum_{k=1}^{4} \left( a_{n+k} - \frac{1}{2} \right)^2 + a_n^2 \ge a_n^2, \end{align*}
as desired.

Solution 2

(by Alison Miller) For any kk, we have the following inequality:
ak+1+120ak2+15+120=ak2+14ak, a_{k+1} + \frac{1}{20} \ge a_k^2 + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{20} = a_k^2 + \frac{1}{4} \ge a_k,
because (ak12)20(a_k - \frac{1}{2})^2 \ge 0. Summing up this inequalities over k=n+1,,n+4k = n + 1, \dots, n + 4, we have
an+5+15an+1an2+15, a_{n+5} + \frac{1}{5} \ge a_{n+1} \ge a_n^2 + \frac{1}{5},
and similarly anan52a_n \ge a_{n-5}^2, so
an+5an2an54, a_{n+5} \ge a_n^2 \ge a_{n-5}^4,
implying the desired result.

Solution 3

Define the function f(x)=x2+15f(x) = x^2 + \frac{1}{5}, which is increasing for x0x \ge 0. Also define the function g(x)=f(x)x=(xr1)(xr2)g(x) = f(x) - x = (x - r_1)(x - r_2), where
r1=5510andr2=5+510. r_1 = \frac{5 - \sqrt{5}}{10} \quad \text{and} \quad r_2 = \frac{5 + \sqrt{5}}{10}.
Observe that 0<r1<r2<10 < r_1 < r_2 < 1. So, for nonnegative xx, g(x)g(x) is zero for x=r1,r2x = r_1, r_2, negative for x(r1,r2)x \in (r_1, r_2), and positive otherwise. Therefore, for nonnegative xx, f(x)=xf(x) = x for x=r1,r2x = r_1, r_2, f(x)<xf(x) < x for x(r1,r2)x \in (r_1, r_2), and f(x)>xf(x) > x otherwise.
Fix n5n \ge 5, and write a=an5a = |a_{n-5}|. It suffices to prove that an+5an54a_{n+5} \ge a_{n-5}^4. We consider the following cases.
(i) ar1a \le r_1. For x[0,r1]x \in [0, r_1], observe that xf(x)f(r1)=r1x \le f(x) \le f(r_1) = r_1. An easy proof by induction on k=0,1,,9k = 0, 1, \dots, 9 then shows that f(k)(x)f(k+1)(x)r1f^{(k)}(x) \le f^{(k+1)}(x) \le r_1. Therefore, af(a)f(2)(a)f(10)(a)=an+5a \le f(a) \le f^{(2)}(a) \le \dots \le f^{(10)}(a) = a_{n+5}. Because a<1a < 1, we have an+5a>a4=an54a_{n+5} \ge a > a^4 = a_{n-5}^4, as desired.
(ii) a(r2,1]a \in (r_2, 1]. For x>r2x > r_2, observe that f(x)>xf(x) > x and hence f(x)>x>r2f(x) > x > r_2. We can repeat this argument to show that f(k+1)(x)>f(k)(x)>r2f^{(k+1)}(x) > f^{(k)}(x) > r_2 for k=0,1,,9k = 0, 1, \dots, 9. Therefore, an+5=f(10)(a)>f(9)(a)>>aa4=an54a_{n+5} = f^{(10)}(a) > f^{(9)}(a) > \dots > a \ge a^4 = a_{n-5}^4, as desired.
(iii) a>1a > 1. Notice that for all kk, ak+1>ak2a_{k+1} > a_k^2. Therefore, an+5>an510=a6an54>an54a_{n+5} > a_{n-5}^{10} = a^6 \cdot a_{n-5}^4 > a_{n-5}^4, as desired.
(iv) a(r1,r2)a \in (r_1, r_2). For x(r1,r2)x \in (r_1, r_2), observe that r1=f(r1)<f(x)<f(r2)=r2r_1 = f(r_1) < f(x) < f(r_2) = r_2. Therefore, an+5=f(10)(a)>r1a_{n+5} = f^{(10)}(a) > r_1. Hence, if we can verify that r1>r24r_1 > r_2^4, then we would have
an+5>r1>r24>a4=an54, a_{n+5} > r_1 > r_2^4 > a^4 = a_{n-5}^4,
as desired. Note that
r24=k=04(4k)(5)k54k10000, r_2^4 = \frac{\sum_{k=0}^{4} \binom{4}{k} (\sqrt{5})^k 5^{4-k}}{10000},
which expands to
54+4535+652(5)2+45(5)3+(5)410000. \frac{5^4 + 4 \cdot 5^3 \cdot \sqrt{5} + 6 \cdot 5^2 \cdot (\sqrt{5})^2 + 4 \cdot 5 \cdot (\sqrt{5})^3 + (\sqrt{5})^4}{10000}.
Hence r24=(7+35)/50r_2^4 = (7 + 3\sqrt{5})/50. Then
320<324    85<18    7+35<5(55)    7+3550<5510    r24<r1, \begin{aligned} 320 < 324 &\implies 8\sqrt{5} < 18 \\ &\implies 7 + 3\sqrt{5} < 5(5 - \sqrt{5}) \\ &\implies \frac{7 + 3\sqrt{5}}{50} < \frac{5 - \sqrt{5}}{10} \\ &\implies r_2^4 < r_1, \end{aligned}
as needed. This completes the proof.

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