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Algebra Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Suppose that a1=2a_1 = 2 and the sequence (an)(a_n) satisfies the recurrence relation
an1n1=an1+1(n1)+1 \frac{a_n - 1}{n - 1} = \frac{a_{n-1} + 1}{(n-1) + 1}
for all n2n \ge 2. What is the greatest integer less than or equal to
n=1100an2? \sum_{n=1}^{100} a_n^2?

Solution

Computing the first few terms of this sequence gives a1=2a_1 = 2, a2=52a_2 = \frac{5}{2}, a3=103a_3 = \frac{10}{3}, and a4=174a_4 = \frac{17}{4}, so it appears that an=n+1na_n = n + \frac{1}{n}. Indeed, this is correct, because the recurrence relation is satisfied:
an1+1(n1)+1=n1+1n1+1n=1+1n(n1)=n1n1+1n1=an1n1 \frac{a_{n-1} + 1}{(n-1) + 1} = \frac{n - 1 + \frac{1}{n-1} + 1}{n} = 1 + \frac{1}{n(n-1)} = \frac{n-1}{n-1} + \frac{1}{n-1} = \frac{a_n - 1}{n-1}
Then
n=1100an2=n=1100(n2+2+1n2)=1001012016+200+r=2030100+12006+r=338,550+r, \begin{aligned} \sum_{n=1}^{100} a_n^2 &= \sum_{n=1}^{100} \left( n^2 + 2 + \frac{1}{n^2} \right) \\ &= \frac{100 \cdot 101 \cdot 201}{6} + 200 + r \\ &= \frac{2030100 + 1200}{6} + r \\ &= 338,550 + r, \end{aligned}
where r=n=11001n2r = \sum_{n=1}^{100} \frac{1}{n^2}. But by a telescoping sum argument,
1<r<1+n=21001n(n1)=21100<2. 1 < r < 1 + \sum_{n=2}^{100} \frac{1}{n(n-1)} = 2 - \frac{1}{100} < 2.
Thus n=1100an2\sum_{n=1}^{100} a_n^2 is between 338,551 and 338,552, and the requested greatest integer is 338,551.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.