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Algebra Difficulty 6.7 National olympiad Prove it Romania

Let nNn \in \mathbb{N}, n2n \ge 2, and a1,a2,,an,b1,b2,,bna_1, a_2, \dots, a_n, b_1, b_2, \dots, b_n be real positive numbers such that
a1b1a2b2anbn. \frac{a_1}{b_1} \le \frac{a_2}{b_2} \le \dots \le \frac{a_n}{b_n}.
Find the largest real cc so that (a1b1c)x1+(a2b2c)x2++(anbnc)xn0(a_1 - b_1c)x_1 + (a_2 - b_2c)x_2 + \dots + (a_n - b_nc)x_n \ge 0, for every x1,x2,,xn>0x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n > 0, with x1x2xnx_1 \le x_2 \le \dots \le x_n.

Solution

Denoting y1=x1y_1 = x_1, yk+1=xk+1xky_{k+1} = x_{k+1} - x_k, for k{1,2,,n1}k \in \{1, 2, \dots, n-1\}, we get xk=y1+y2++ykx_k = y_1 + y_2 + \dots + y_k, cu y1>0,yk0,k=2,n\text{cu } y_1 > 0, y_k \ge 0, \forall k = \overline{2, n}. With these notations, the inequality becomes (a1+a2++anc(b1+b2++bn))y1+(a2+a3++anc(b2+b3++bn))y2++(ancbn)yn0(a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n - c(b_1 + b_2 + \dots + b_n))y_1 + (a_2 + a_3 + \dots + a_n - c(b_2 + b_3 + \dots + b_n))y_2 + \dots + (a_n - cb_n)y_n \ge 0 (*).

Plugging y1=1,y2==yn=0y_1 = 1, y_2 = \dots = y_n = 0, shows that necessarily ca1+a2++anb1+b2++bnc \le \frac{a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n}{b_1+b_2+\dots+b_n}.

We show that, conversely, for every ca1+a2++anb1+b2++bnc \le \frac{a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n}{b_1+b_2+\dots+b_n} the inequality under consideration is true, so a1+a2++anb1+b2++bn\frac{a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n}{b_1+b_2+\dots+b_n} is the required maximum.

We notice that ca1+a2++anb1+b2++bna2+a3++anb2+b3++bnanbnc \le \frac{a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n}{b_1+b_2+\dots+b_n} \le \frac{a_2+a_3+\dots+a_n}{b_2+b_3+\dots+b_n} \le \dots \le \frac{a_n}{b_n}. Indeed, the inequality ak+ak+1++anbk+bk+1++bnak+1++anbk+1++bn\frac{a_k+a_{k+1}+\dots+a_n}{b_k+b_{k+1}+\dots+b_n} \le \frac{a_{k+1}+\dots+a_n}{b_{k+1}+\dots+b_n} can be written ak(bk+1++bn)bk(ak+1++an)a_k(b_{k+1} + \dots + b_n) \le b_k(a_{k+1} + \dots + a_n) and is justified by the inequalities akbkak+1bk+1,akbkak+2bk+2,,akbkanbn\frac{a_k}{b_k} \le \frac{a_{k+1}}{b_{k+1}}, \frac{a_k}{b_k} \le \frac{a_{k+2}}{b_{k+2}}, \dots, \frac{a_k}{b_k} \le \frac{a_n}{b_n}.

This shows that every term of the left member of ()(*) is at least 0, so ()(*) is true.

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