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Algebra Difficulty 7.6 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Vietnam

Given the sequence {an}n=1\{a_n\}_{n=1}^{\infty} defined by
an=14[1log4n] a_n = \frac{1}{4[1 - \log_4 n]}
for all positive integers nn. Put
bn=1n2(a1+a2++an1a1+a2),nZ+ b_n = \frac{1}{n^2} \left( a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n - \frac{1}{a_1 + a_2} \right), \quad \forall n \in \mathbb{Z}^+
a) Find a polynomial P(x)P(x) with real coefficients such that bn=P(ann)b_n = P\left(\frac{a_n}{n}\right) for all positive integers nn.
b) Prove that there exists a strictly increasing sequence of positive integers {nk}k=1\{n_k\}_{k=1}^{\infty} such that
limkbnk=20242025 \lim_{k \to \infty} b_{n_k} = \frac{2024}{2025}

Solution

a) We will prove that the polynomial P(x)=15x2+xP(x) = -\frac{1}{5}x^2 + x satisfies the required properties. Obviously b1=45=P(1)=P(11)b_1 = \frac{4}{5} = P(1) = P\left(\frac{1}{1}\right), so we only need to consider the case n>1n > 1.
Notice that, for each non-integer real number xx, then [x]=[x]1[-x] = -[x] - 1. Thus, for each positive integer m>1m > 1, let tt be a natural number such that 4t<m4t+14^t < m \le 4^{t+1}, we have
* If m=4t+1m = 4^{t+1}, then [log4m]=t1[-\log_4 m] = -t - 1 and therefore am=4t+1a_m = 4^{t+1}.
* If 4t<m<4t+14^t < m < 4^{t+1}, then we have t<log4m<t+1t < \log_4 m < t + 1. Thus log4m\log_4 m not integer, and so
[log4m]=[log4m]1=t1=4t+1. [-\log_4 m] = -[\log_4 m] - 1 = -t - 1 = 4^{t+1}.
In short, we always have am=4t+1a_m = 4^{t+1}, where tt is a natural number such that 4t<m4t+14^t < m \le 4^{t+1}. Now, we consider the following cases.

Case 1: nn is a power of 4. In this case, we have n=4sn = 4^s where ss is some positive integer. Then an=na_n = n and
a1+a2++an=a1+(a2+a3+a4)+(a5+a6++a16)++(a4s1+1)++a4s.=4040+(4140)41++(4s4s1)4s=42s+1+15=4n2+15. \begin{aligned} a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n &= a_1 + (a_2 + a_3 + a_4) + (a_5 + a_6 + \dots + a_{16}) \\ &\quad + \dots + (a_{4^s-1} + 1) + \dots + a_{4^s}. \\ &= 4^0 \cdot 4^0 + (4^1 - 4^0) \cdot 4^1 + \dots + (4^s - 4^{s-1}) \cdot 4^s \\ &= \frac{4^{2s+1} + 1}{5} = \frac{4n^2 + 1}{5}. \end{aligned}
This implies that
bn=1n2(4n2+1515)=45=15(ann)2+ann=P(ann). b_n = \frac{1}{n^2} \left( \frac{4n^2 + 1}{5} - \frac{1}{5} \right) = \frac{4}{5} = -\frac{1}{5} \left( \frac{a_n}{n} \right)^2 + \frac{a_n}{n} = P \left( \frac{a_n}{n} \right).

Case 2: nn is not a power of 4. In this case, there exists a natural number ss such that 4s<n<4s+14^s < n < 4^{s+1}. Then we deduce that an=4s+1a_n = 4^{s+1} and
a1+a2++an=a1+(a2+a3+a4)++(a4s1+1)++a4s+(a4s+1++an)=4040+(4140)41++(4s4s1)4s+(n4s)4s+1=42s+1+15+(n4s)4s+1=5n4s+142s+2+15=5nanan2+15. \begin{aligned} a_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n &= a_1 + (a_2 + a_3 + a_4) + \dots + (a_{4^s-1} + 1) + \dots + a_{4^s} \\ &\quad + (a_{4^{s+1}} + \dots + a_n) \\ &= 4^0 \cdot 4^0 + (4^1 - 4^0) \cdot 4^1 + \dots + (4^s - 4^{s-1}) \cdot 4^s \\ &\quad + (n - 4^s) \cdot 4^{s+1} \\ &= \frac{4^{2s+1} + 1}{5} + (n - 4^s) \cdot 4^{s+1} \\ &= \frac{5n \cdot 4^{s+1} - 4^{2s+2} + 1}{5} = \frac{5na_n - a_n^2 + 1}{5}. \end{aligned}
This implies that
bn=1n2(5nanan2+1515)=5nanan25n2=15(ann)2+ann=P(ann). \begin{aligned} b_n &= \frac{1}{n^2} \left( \frac{5na_n - a_n^2 + 1}{5} - \frac{1}{5} \right) = \frac{5na_n - a_n^2}{5n^2} \\ &= -\frac{1}{5} \left( \frac{a_n}{n} \right)^2 + \frac{a_n}{n} = P \left( \frac{a_n}{n} \right). \end{aligned}
In short, the polynomial P(x)=15x2+xP(x) = -\frac{1}{5}x^2 + x satisfies the requirements of the problem.

b) According to the result of part a), with nn not being a power of 4, we have
a1+a2++an=42s+1+15+(n4s)4s+1, a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n = \frac{4^{2s+1} + 1}{5} + (n - 4^s) \cdot 4^{s+1},
where ss is a natural number such that 4s<n<4s+14^s < n < 4^{s+1}.
Let n=n4sn' = n - 4^s (1n<34s1 \le n' < 3 \cdot 4^s), we have
bn=42s+1+5n4s+15(4s+n)2=4+20n4s5(1+n4s)2. b_n = \frac{4^{2s+1} + 5n' \cdot 4^{s+1}}{5(4^s + n')^2} = \frac{4 + 20 \cdot \frac{n'}{4^s}}{5 \left(1 + \frac{n'}{4^s}\right)^2}.
Note that the function f(x)=4+20x5(1+x)2f(x) = \frac{4+20x}{5(1+x)^2} is continuous on the segment [0,34][0, \frac{3}{4}] and f(0)<20242025<f(34)f(0) < \frac{2024}{2025} < f(\frac{3}{4}) so there exists a real number x0(0,34)x_0 \in (0, \frac{3}{4}) such that f(x0)=20242025f(x_0) = \frac{2024}{2025}. In addition, it is easy to see that there exists a positive integer s0s_0 such that 14sx0<34s1 \le \lfloor 4^s x_0 \rfloor < 3 \cdot 4^s for all positive integers ss0s \ge s_0. Now, choosing n=4sx0n' = \lfloor 4^s x_0 \rfloor, we have n4sx0\frac{n'}{4^s} \le x_0 and n4s>4sx014s=x014s\frac{n'}{4^s} > \frac{4^s x_0 - 1}{4^s} = x_0 - \frac{1}{4^s} so limsn4s=x0\lim_{s \to \infty} \frac{n'}{4^s} = x_0. We deduce that
limsb4s+4sx0=f(x0)=20242025. \lim_{s \to \infty} b_{4^s + \lfloor 4^s x_0 \rfloor} = f(x_0) = \frac{2024}{2025}.
The statement is proved. \square

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