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Algebra Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it Hong Kong

The sequence {xn}\{x_n\} is defined by x1=5x_1 = 5 and xk+1=xk23xk+3x_{k+1} = x_k^2 - 3x_k + 3 for k=1,2,3,k = 1, 2, 3, \dots. Prove that xk>32k1x_k > 3^{2^{k-1}} for any positive integer kk.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

The recurrence relation can be rewritten as xk+13=xk(xk3)x_{k+1} - 3 = x_k(x_k - 3). By repeating the process, we obtain
xk+13=xk(xk3)=xkxk1(xk13)==xkxk1x1(x13). x_{k+1} - 3 = x_k(x_k - 3) = x_k x_{k-1}(x_{k-1} - 3) = \cdots = x_k x_{k-1} \cdots x_1(x_1 - 3).
Changing the index, this gives xk=10x2xk1+3x_k = 10x_2 \cdots x_{k-1} + 3. We now prove the assertion by induction. The base cases k=1k=1 and k=2k=2 follow from x1>3x_1 > 3 and x2=13>9x_2 = 13 > 9. For the inductive step, we obtain
xk>10x2xk1>10j=2k132j1=10×32+22+23++2k2=10×32k12>32k1. x_k > 10x_2 \cdots x_{k-1} > 10 \prod_{j=2}^{k-1} 3^{2^{j-1}} = 10 \times 3^{2+2^2+2^3+\cdots+2^{k-2}} = 10 \times 3^{2^{k-1}-2} > 3^{2^{k-1}}.
Thus, this holds for every positive integer kk by induction.

Solution 2

We prove by induction that xk32k1+2x_k \ge 3^{2^{k-1}} + 2 for any kk. The base case holds since x1=5x_1 = 5. Assuming xk32k1+2x_k \ge 3^{2^{k-1}} + 2 for some kk, we have
xk+1=xk(xk3)+3(32k1+2)(32k11)+3>(32k1)2+2=32k+2. x_{k+1} = x_k(x_k - 3) + 3 \ge (3^{2^{k-1}} + 2)(3^{2^{k-1}} - 1) + 3 > (3^{2^{k-1}})^2 + 2 = 3^{2k} + 2.
The claim holds by induction. This obviously implies xk>32k1x_k > 3^{2^{k-1}}.

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