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Romanian Mathematical Olympiad

Number theory Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

If the positive integers a,b,ca, b, c satisfy the inequalities a>b>ca > b > c and 12b>13c>11a12b > 13c > 11a, show that a+b+c≥56a + b + c \ge 56.

Solution

Since a,b,c∈Na, b, c \in \mathbb{N}, from a>b>ca > b > c follows a≥b+1≥c+2a \ge b + 1 \ge c + 2, hence a−c≥2a - c \ge 2.
If a−c≥4a - c \ge 4, then 13c>11a≥11(c+4)13c > 11a \ge 11(c + 4), so c>22c > 22. It follows that a+b+c>c+c+c>66>56a + b + c > c + c + c > 66 > 56.
So we still need to discuss the cases a−c=2a - c = 2 and a−c=3a - c = 3.
If a−c=2a - c = 2, then from a≥b+1≥c+2a \ge b + 1 \ge c + 2 follows a=b+1=c+2a = b + 1 = c + 2, hence 12(c+1)>13c>11(c+2)12(c + 1) > 13c > 11(c + 2), where from 12>c12 > c and c>11c > 11, which is impossible, and we conclude a−c≠2a - c \ne 2.
If a−c=3a - c = 3, then a=c+3a = c + 3 and either b=c+1b = c + 1 or b=c+2b = c + 2.
If b=c+1b = c + 1, then 12(c+1)>13c>11(c+3)12(c + 1) > 13c > 11(c + 3), so 12>c12 > c and c>332c > \frac{33}{2}, which is impossible.
If b=c+2b = c + 2, then 12(c+2)>13c>11(c+3)12(c + 2) > 13c > 11(c + 3), so 24>c24 > c and c>332c > \frac{33}{2}, hence c≥17c \ge 17. It follows that b≥19b \ge 19, a≥20a \ge 20 and a+b+c≥56a + b + c \ge 56.

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