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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Belarus

Three positive integers are written on a blackboard. Per move one replaces the set of these numbers by the new set in accordance with the following rule: each number of the set is replaced by the quotient of the sum of the squares of two other numbers and this number.
What is the maximum value of the sum of the initial numbers written on the blackboard if after 5 moves the sum of the numbers on the blackboard is equal to 2016?
(V. Karamzin)

Solution

Let a0,b0,c0a_0, b_0, c_0 be the initial numbers on the blackboard, and ai,bi,cia_i, b_i, c_i be the numbers written on the blackboard after the ii-th move; let S(a0,b0,c0)S(a_0, b_0, c_0) and S(ai,bi,ci)S(a_i, b_i, c_i) be the sums of these numbers, respectively. Then after the i+1i+1-th move we obtain the following numbers
ai+1=bi2+ci2ai,bi+1=ci2+ai2bi,ci+1=ai2+bi2ci. a_{i+1} = \frac{b_i^2 + c_i^2}{a_i}, \quad b_{i+1} = \frac{c_i^2 + a_i^2}{b_i}, \quad c_{i+1} = \frac{a_i^2 + b_i^2}{c_i}.
We have the lower estimate for S(ai+1,bi+1,ci+1)S(a_{i+1}, b_{i+1}, c_{i+1}):
S(ai+1,bi+1,ci+1)=bi2+ci2ai+ci2+ai2bi+ai2+bi2ci2biciai+2ciaibi+2aibici==biciai+biciai+ciaibi+ciaibi+aibici+aibici==(biciai+aibici)+(biciai+ciaibi)+(aibici+ciaibi)==bi(ciai+aici)+ci(biai+aibi)+ai(bici+cibi)[αβ+βα2]2(ai+bi+ci)=2S(ai,bi,ci). \begin{align*} S(a_{i+1}, b_{i+1}, c_{i+1}) &= \frac{b_i^2 + c_i^2}{a_i} + \frac{c_i^2 + a_i^2}{b_i} + \frac{a_i^2 + b_i^2}{c_i} \ge \frac{2b_i c_i}{a_i} + \frac{2c_i a_i}{b_i} + \frac{2a_i b_i}{c_i} = \\ &= \frac{b_i c_i}{a_i} + \frac{b_i c_i}{a_i} + \frac{c_i a_i}{b_i} + \frac{c_i a_i}{b_i} + \frac{a_i b_i}{c_i} + \frac{a_i b_i}{c_i} = \\ &= \left( \frac{b_i c_i}{a_i} + \frac{a_i b_i}{c_i} \right) + \left( \frac{b_i c_i}{a_i} + \frac{c_i a_i}{b_i} \right) + \left( \frac{a_i b_i}{c_i} + \frac{c_i a_i}{b_i} \right) = \\ &= b_i \left( \frac{c_i}{a_i} + \frac{a_i}{c_i} \right) + c_i \left( \frac{b_i}{a_i} + \frac{a_i}{b_i} \right) + a_i \left( \frac{b_i}{c_i} + \frac{c_i}{b_i} \right) \ge \left[ \frac{\alpha}{\beta} + \frac{\beta}{\alpha} \ge 2 \right] \ge \\ &\ge 2(a_i + b_i + c_i) = 2S(a_i, b_i, c_i). \end{align*}
Therefore, S(ai,bi,ci)12S(ai+1,bi+1,ci+1)S(a_i, b_i, c_i) \le \frac{1}{2} S(a_{i+1}, b_{i+1}, c_{i+1}) for all i=0,1,2,3,4i = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. Hence,
S(a0,b0,c0)12S(a1,b1,c1)122S(a2,b2,c2)125S(a5,b5,c5)==201632=63. \begin{align*} S(a_0, b_0, c_0) &\le \frac{1}{2} S(a_1, b_1, c_1) \le \frac{1}{2^2} S(a_2, b_2, c_2) \le \dots \le \frac{1}{2^5} S(a_5, b_5, c_5) = \\ &= \frac{2016}{32} = 63. \end{align*}
Thus, the sum of the initial numbers on the blackboard is less than or equal to 63.
The following example shows that the sum of the initial numbers on the blackboard can be equal to 63. Let a0=b0=c0=21a_0 = b_0 = c_0 = 21, then
(a0,b0,c0)=(21,21,21)(42,42,42)=(221,221,221)(2221,2221,2221)(2521,2521,2521)=(a5,b5,c5), \begin{align*} (a_0, b_0, c_0) = (21, 21, 21) &\longrightarrow (42, 42, 42) = (2 \cdot 21, 2 \cdot 21, 2 \cdot 21) &\longrightarrow \\ &\longrightarrow (2^2 \cdot 21, 2^2 \cdot 21, 2^2 \cdot 21) &\longrightarrow \dots &\longrightarrow (2^5 \cdot 21, 2^5 \cdot 21, 2^5 \cdot 21) = (a_5, b_5, c_5), \end{align*}
and the sum
S(a5,b5,c5)=S(2521,2521,2521)=25S(21,21,21)=3263=2016. S(a_5, b_5, c_5) = S(2^5 \cdot 21, 2^5 \cdot 21, 2^5 \cdot 21) = 2^5 S(21, 21, 21) = 32 \cdot 63 = 2016.

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