Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Let nn be an integer, n2n \ge 2. For each k=1,2,,nk = 1, 2, \dots, n, let aka_k be the number of multiples of kk in the set {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\}, and let xk=11+12+13++1akx_k = \frac{1}{1} + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k}. Show that x1+x2++xnn112+122++1n2\frac{x_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_n}{n} \le \frac{1}{1^2} + \frac{1}{2^2} + \dots + \frac{1}{n^2}.

Solution

The number aka_k of the multiples of kk in the set {1,2,,n}\{1, 2, \dots, n\} is nk\lfloor \frac{n}{k} \rfloor. Let us count the appearances of the term 1i\frac{1}{i} in the sum x1+x2++xnx_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_n. The term 1i\frac{1}{i} belongs in the sum xk=11+12+13++1akx_k = \frac{1}{1} + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \dots + \frac{1}{a_k} if and only if iak=nki \le a_k = \lfloor \frac{n}{k} \rfloor.

Fix i=1,2,,ni = 1, 2, \dots, n and denote by m=m(i)m = m(i) the index of the last sum xmx_m containing 1i\frac{1}{i}. Then inmnmi \le \lfloor \frac{n}{m} \rfloor \le \frac{n}{m}, i.e. mnim \le \frac{n}{i}.

Remember 1i\frac{1}{i} belongs to the sums x1,x2,,xmx_1, x_2, \dots, x_m and those only, therefore one has
x1+x2++xn=i=1n1im(i)i=1n1ini=ni=1n1i2. x_1 + x_2 + \dots + x_n = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{i} m(i) \le \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{i} \cdot \frac{n}{i} = n \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{i^2}.
The conclusion immediately ensues.

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