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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Argentina

Find the minimum and the maximum of the sum S=ab+cdS = \frac{a}{b} + \frac{c}{d} where a,b,c,dNa, b, c, d \in \mathbb{N} satisfy a+c=20202a + c = 20202, b+d=20200b + d = 20200.

Solution

For clarity we write pp and p+2p+2 for 2020020200 and 2020220202 whenever possible. The conditions are a+c=p+2a + c = p + 2, b+d=pb + d = p. By symmetry assume bdb \le d, then 1bp21 \le b \le \frac{p}{2}. In each sum S=ab+cdS = \frac{a}{b} + \frac{c}{d} replace aa and cc by their extremal values a=1,c=p+1a = 1, c = p + 1 and a=p+1,c=1a = p + 1, c = 1. In view of a+c=p+2a + c = p + 2 and bdb \le d comparison with SS shows respectively (1b+p+1d)S=(a1)(1d1b)0(\frac{1}{b} + \frac{p+1}{d}) - S = (a-1)(\frac{1}{d} - \frac{1}{b}) \le 0, (p+1b+1d)S=(c1)(1b1d)0(\frac{p+1}{b} + \frac{1}{d}) - S = (c-1)(\frac{1}{b} - \frac{1}{d}) \ge 0. Hence minS\min S is attained with

a = 1, c = p+1, and maxS\max S with a=p+1,c=1a = p+1, c = 1. Thus maxS\max S is the greatest value of p+1b+1pb\frac{p+1}{b} + \frac{1}{p-b} where 1bp21 \le b \le \frac{p}{2}. It is straightforward that b=1b = 1 yields a maximum. The result is p+1+1p1p+1 + \frac{1}{p-1} which is greater than p+1p+1, while b2b \ge 2 implies p+1b+1pbp+12+1<p+1\frac{p+1}{b} + \frac{1}{p-b} \le \frac{p+1}{2} + 1 < p+1. In particular maxS=20201+120199\max S = 20201 + \frac{1}{20199} for p=20200p = 20200, attained at a=20201,b=1,c=1,d=20199a = 20201, b = 1, c = 1, d = 20199.

f(b)f(b1)=p(b2+bp1)b(b1)(pb)(pb+1) f(b) - f(b-1) = \frac{p(b^2 + b - p - 1)}{b(b-1)(p-b)(p-b+1)}
Because b(b1)(pb)(pb+1)>0b(b-1)(p-b)(p-b+1) > 0 for 2bp22 \le b \le \frac{p}{2}, the sign of f(b)f(b1)f(b) - f(b-1) coincides with the sign of b2+bp1b^2 + b - p - 1. For p=20200p = 20200 this leads to the quadratic function b2+b20201b^2 + b - 20201. It has one negative root and one root between 141141 and 142142. Hence b2+b20201<0b^2 + b - 20201 < 0 for 2b1412 \le b \le 141 and b2+b20201>0b^2 + b - 20201 > 0 for b142b \ge 142. It follows that f(1)>f(2)>>f(141)f(1) > f(2) > \dots > f(141) and f(141)<f(142)<f(141) < f(142) < \dots, showing that minf\min f is attained at b=141b = 141 and equal to 1141+2020120059\frac{1}{141} + \frac{20201}{20059}. This is the minimum of SS under the given constraints, attained at a=1,b=141,c=20201,d=20059a = 1, b = 141, c = 20201, d = 20059.

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