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Combinatorics Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it Taiwan

Prove that there exists constant D>0D > 0 satisfying the following: for any positive integer mm and N=m(m+1)2N = \frac{m(m+1)}{2}, there exist three permutations a1,a2,,aNa_1, a_2, \dots, a_N; b1,b2,,bNb_1, b_2, \dots, b_N; and c1,c2,,cNc_1, c_2, \dots, c_N of 1,2,,N1, 2, \dots, N such that
ak+bk+ck2N<D \left| \sqrt{a_k} + \sqrt{b_k} + \sqrt{c_k} - 2\sqrt{N} \right| < D
for every k=1,2,,Nk = 1, 2, \dots, N.

Solution

We prove the case D=524D = \frac{5\sqrt{2}}{4}. Let us arrange {1,2,,N}\{1, 2, \dots, N\} into a triangle as in the figure. For any point XX in the triangle, let rXr_X be the row number counted from the vertex AA. Let YY and ZZ be the points corresponding to PP after rotating the triangle clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively. Since ABCABC is an equilateral triangle, we have
rX+rY+rZ=2m+1=8N+1. r_X + r_Y + r_Z = 2m + 1 = \sqrt{8N + 1}.
Furthermore, let us consider nXn_X to be the number corresponding to XX in the triangle. Since the top rr rows of the triangle contain a total of 1+2++r=r(r+1)21 + 2 + \dots + r = \frac{r(r+1)}{2} points, we have
rX(rX1)2+1nXrX(rX+1)2, \frac{r_X(r_X - 1)}{2} + 1 \le n_X \le \frac{r_X(r_X + 1)}{2},
and hence
(rX12)2<nX<(rX+12)2. \left( r_X - \frac{1}{2} \right)^2 < n_X < \left( r_X + \frac{1}{2} \right)^2 .
Therefore we have
2nX+2nY+2nZ(rX+rY+rZ)<32, \left| \sqrt{2n_X} + \sqrt{2n_Y} + \sqrt{2n_Z} - (r_X + r_Y + r_Z) \right| < \frac{3}{2},
that is,
nX+nY+nZ2N+18<32×12<324. \left| \sqrt{n_X} + \sqrt{n_Y} + \sqrt{n_Z} - 2\sqrt{N + \frac{1}{8}} \right| < \frac{3}{2} \times \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} < \frac{3\sqrt{2}}{4}.
Also,
2N+182N<218=224, 2\sqrt{N + \frac{1}{8}} - 2\sqrt{N} < 2\sqrt{\frac{1}{8}} = \frac{2\sqrt{2}}{4},
so we have
nX+nY+nZ2N<(34+24)2=524. \left| \sqrt{n_X} + \sqrt{n_Y} + \sqrt{n_Z} - 2\sqrt{N} \right| < \left( \frac{3}{4} + \frac{2}{4} \right) \sqrt{2} = \frac{5\sqrt{2}}{4}.

Therefore, letting nXn_X range from 1 to NN, (nX,nY,nZ)(n_X, n_Y, n_Z) satisfies what is required in the problem.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.