Given a positive integer n, find the least positive number λ such that cosθ1+cosθ2+⋯+cosθn is not greater than λ provided tanθ1⋅tanθ2⋅⋯⋅tanθn=22n for any θi∈(0,2π) (i=1,2,⋯,n).
Solution
When n=1, cosθ1=(1+tan2θ1)−21=33. Hence λ=33.
When n=2, we can prove cosθ1+cosθ2≤323,1◯ and when θ1=θ2=arctan2, the equality holds. In fact, 1◯⇔cos2θ1+cos2θ2+2cosθ1⋅cosθ2≤43, that is, 1+tan2θ11+1+tan2θ21+2(1+tan2θ1)(1+tan2θ2)1≤43.2◯ From tanθ1⋅tanθ2=2, we get 2◯⇔5+tan2θ1+tan2θ22+tan2θ1+tan2θ2+25+tan2θ1+tan2θ21≤43.3◯ Write x=tan2θ1+tan2θ2, then 3◯⇔25+x1≤3(5+x)14+x, that is,36(5+x)≤196+28x+x2.4◯ Obviously,4◯⇔x−8x+16=(x−4)2≥0. Hence, λ=323.
When n≥3, there is no loss of generality in supposing θ1≥θ2≥⋯≥θn, then tanθ1⋅tanθ2⋅tanθ3≥22. Since cosθi=1−sin2θi<1−21sin2θi, so cosθ2+cosθ3<2−21(sin2θ2+sin2θ3)<2−sinθ2⋅sinθ3. From tan2θ1≥tan2θ2⋅tan2θ38, we have cos2θ11≥tan2θ2⋅tan2θ38+tan2θ2⋅tan2θ3, that is, cosθ1≤8+tan2θ2⋅tan2θ3tanθ2⋅tanθ3=8cos2θ2⋅cos2θ3+sin2θ2⋅sin2θ3sinθ2⋅sinθ3. Hence cosθ2+cosθ3+cosθ1 <2−sinθ2⋅sinθ3[1−8cos2θ2⋅cos2θ3+sin2θ2⋅sin2θ31]. Note that 8cos2θ2⋅cos2θ3+sin2θ2⋅sin2θ3≥1 ⇔⇔8+tan2θ2tan2θ3≥cos2θ2⋅cos2θ31=(1+tan2θ2)(1+tan2θ3)tan2θ2+tan2θ3≤7. If this does not hold, then tan2θ2+tan2θ3>7, tan2θ1≥tan2θ2>27 so cosθ1≤cosθ2<1+271=32. Thus cosθ1+cosθ2+cosθ3<322+1<2, that is, the bound holds too.
cosθ1+cosθ2+cosθ3+⋯+cosθn<n−1. On the other hand, if we take θ2=θ3=⋯=θn=α>0, α→0, then θ1=arctan(tanα)n−12n. Obviously, θ1→2π, thus cosθ1+cosθ2+cosθ3+⋯+cosθn→n−1. Consequently, we get λ=n−1.
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