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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it China

Suppose that the real numbers a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \dots, a_n satisfy a1+a2++an=0a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 0. Prove
max1inai2n3i=1n1(aiai+1)2. \max_{1 \le i \le n} a_i^2 \le \frac{n}{3} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (a_i - a_{i+1})^2.
(pose by Zhu Huawei)

Solution

It is sufficient to prove that: For every k{1,2,,n}k \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\}, we have
ak2n3i=1n1(aiai+1)2. a_k^2 \le \frac{n}{3} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (a_i - a_{i+1})^2.
Let dk=akak+1d_k = a_k - a_{k+1}, k=1,2,,n1k = 1, 2, \dots, n-1, then
ak=ak, a_k = a_k,
ak+1=akdk,ak+2=akdkdk+1,, a_{k+1} = a_k - d_k,\quad a_{k+2} = a_k - d_k - d_{k+1}, \dots,
an=akdkdk+1dn1, a_n = a_k - d_k - d_{k+1} - \dots - d_{n-1},
ak1=ak+dk1,ak2=ak+dk1+dk2,, a_{k-1} = a_k + d_{k-1},\quad a_{k-2} = a_k + d_{k-1} + d_{k-2}, \dots,
a1=ak+dk1+dk2++d1. a_1 = a_k + d_{k-1} + d_{k-2} + \dots + d_1.
Summing all equalities, and using a1+a2++an=0a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n = 0, we get
nak(nk)dk(nk1)dk+1dn1+(k1)dk1+(k2)dk2++d1=0. na_k - (n-k)d_k - (n-k-1)d_{k+1} - \dots - d_{n-1} \\ \quad + (k-1)d_{k-1} + (k-2)d_{k-2} + \dots + d_1 = 0.
Then in view of Cauchy's inequality
(nak)2=((nk)dk+(nk1)dk+1++dn1(k1)dk1(k2)dk2d1)2[i=1k1i2+i=1nki2][i=1n1di2][i=1n1i2][i=1n1di2]=n(n1)(2n1)6[i=1n1di2]n33[i=1n1di2]. \begin{aligned} (na_k)^2 &= ((n-k)d_k + (n-k-1)d_{k+1} + \dots + d_{n-1} \\ &\quad - (k-1)d_{k-1} - (k-2)d_{k-2} - \dots - d_1)^2 \\ &\le \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{k-1} i^2 + \sum_{i=1}^{n-k} i^2 \right] \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} d_i^2 \right] \\ &\le \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} i^2 \right] \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} d_i^2 \right] = \frac{n(n-1)(2n-1)}{6} \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} d_i^2 \right] \\ &\le \frac{n^3}{3} \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} d_i^2 \right]. \end{aligned}
So, ak2n3i=1n1(aiai+1)2a_k^2 \le \frac{n}{3} \sum_{i=1}^{n-1} (a_i - a_{i+1})^2.

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