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Algebra Difficulty 7.6 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

For real numbers x1,x2,,x60[1,1]x_1, x_2, \dots, x_{60} \in [-1, 1], find the maximum of
i=160xi2(xi+1xi1), \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 (x_{i+1} - x_{i-1}),
where x0=x60,x61=x1x_0 = x_{60}, x_{61} = x_1.

Solution

The maximum is 4040. First, notice that
i=160xi2(xi+1xi1)=i=160xi2xi+1i=160xi2xi1=i=160xi2xi+1i=160xi+12xi=i=160xixi+1(xixi+1). \begin{align*} \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 (x_{i+1} - x_{i-1}) &= \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 x_{i+1} - \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 x_{i-1} \\ &= \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 x_{i+1} - \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_{i+1}^2 x_i \\ &= \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i x_{i+1} (x_i - x_{i+1}). \end{align*}
Since 3xy(xy)=x3y3(xy)33xy(x-y) = x^3 - y^3 - (x-y)^3 for any real numbers x,yx, y, we have
i=160xi2(xi+1xi1)=13i=160(xi3xi+13(xixi+1)3)=13i=160(xi+1xi)3. \begin{align*} \sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2 (x_{i+1} - x_{i-1}) &= \frac{1}{3} \sum_{i=1}^{60} (x_i^3 - x_{i+1}^3 - (x_i - x_{i+1})^3) \\ &= \frac{1}{3} \sum_{i=1}^{60} (x_{i+1} - x_i)^3. \end{align*}
On one hand, if x3k+1=1x_{3k+1} = 1, x3k+2=0x_{3k+2} = 0, x3k+3=1x_{3k+3} = -1 (k=0,1,,19k = 0, 1, \dots, 19),
i=160(xi+1xi)3=40(1)3+2023=120; \sum_{i=1}^{60} (x_{i+1} - x_i)^3 = 40 \cdot (-1)^3 + 20 \cdot 2^3 = 120;
On the other hand, for a[2,2]a \in [-2, 2], (a+1)2(a2)0(a+1)^2(a-2) \le 0, or a33a+2a^3 \le 3a + 2, and hence
i=160(xi+1xi)3i=160(3(xi+1xi)+2)=120. \sum_{i=1}^{60} (x_{i+1} - x_i)^3 \le \sum_{i=1}^{60} (3(x_{i+1} - x_i) + 2) = 120.
In conclusion, the maximum of i=160(xi+1xi)3\sum_{i=1}^{60} (x_{i+1} - x_i)^3 is 120120, and the maximum of i=160xi2(xi+1xi1)\sum_{i=1}^{60} x_i^2(x_{i+1} - x_{i-1}) is 4040 (when {xn}={1,0,1,1,0,1,,1,0,1}\{x_n\} = \{1, 0, -1, 1, 0, -1, \dots, 1, 0, -1\}). \square

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