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Algebra Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let nn be a positive integer and let x1,,xnx_1, \dots, x_n be positive real numbers. Show that
min(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn)2cos(πn+2)max(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn). \begin{aligned} \min (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n) &\le 2 \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{n+2}\right) \\ &\le \max (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n). \end{aligned}

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Only the first inequality will be proved; the second is dealt with similarly. Suppose, if possible, that each of the n+1n+1 positive real numbers x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xnx_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n is greater than 2cosα2 \cos \alpha, where α=π/(n+2)\alpha = \pi/(n+2), and show recursively that xk>sin((k+1)α)/sin(kα)x_k > \sin((k+1)\alpha) / \sin(k\alpha), k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n; notice that sin((k+1)α)/sin(kα)>0\sin((k+1)\alpha) / \sin(k\alpha) > 0, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n. By assumption, x1>2cosα=sin(2α)/sinαx_1 > 2 \cos \alpha = \sin(2\alpha) / \sin \alpha. For the induction step, xk+1>2cosα1/xk>2cosαsin(kα)/sin((k+1)α)=sin((k+2)α)/sin((k+1)α)x_{k+1} > 2 \cos \alpha - 1/x_k > 2 \cos \alpha - \sin(k\alpha) / \sin((k+1)\alpha) = \sin((k+2)\alpha) / \sin((k+1)\alpha). Consequently, xn>sin((n+1)α)/sin(nα)=1/(2cosα)x_n > \sin((n+1)\alpha) / \sin(n\alpha) = 1/(2 \cos \alpha), in contradiction with 1/xn>2cosα1/x_n > 2 \cos \alpha; here, the last equality holds, since α=π/(n+2)\alpha = \pi/(n+2).

Remark. Notice that the xk=sin((k+1)α)/sin(kα)x_k = \sin((k+1)\alpha) / \sin(k\alpha), k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n, where α=π/(n+2)\alpha = \pi/(n+2), satisfy
x1=1/x1+x2==1/xn1+xn=1/xn=2cosα, x_1 = 1/x_1 + x_2 = \dots = 1/x_{n-1} + x_n = 1/x_n = 2 \cos \alpha,
to conclude, by the preceding, that
maxx1>0,,xn>0min(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn)=minx1>0,,xn>0max(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn)=2cosα. \begin{aligned} \max_{x_1>0, \dots, x_n>0} \min (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n) &= \\ \min_{x_1>0, \dots, x_n>0} \max (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n) &= 2 \cos \alpha. \end{aligned}

Solution 2

We shall actually prove that
maxx1>0,,xn>0min(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn)=minx1>0,,xn>0max(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn)=2cos(πn+2). \begin{aligned} \max_{x_1>0, \dots, x_n>0} \min (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n) &= \\ \min_{x_1>0, \dots, x_n>0} \max (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n) &= 2 \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{n+2}\right). \end{aligned}
To this end, let UU denote the set of all nn-tuples of positive real numbers, and, for x=(x1,,xn)\mathbf{x} = (x_1, \dots, x_n) in UU, let
m(x)=min(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn) m(\mathbf{x}) = \min (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n)
and
M(x)=max(x1,1/x1+x2,,1/xn1+xn,1/xn). M(\mathbf{x}) = \max (x_1, 1/x_1 + x_2, \dots, 1/x_{n-1} + x_n, 1/x_n).
The first step consists in assuming that m(a)=M(a)m(\mathbf{a}) = M(\mathbf{a}) for some a=(a1,,an)\mathbf{a} = (a_1, \dots, a_n) in UU and showing that m(x)m(a)=M(a)M(x)m(\mathbf{x}) \le m(\mathbf{a}) = M(\mathbf{a}) \le M(\mathbf{x}) for all x\mathbf{x} in UU. Clearly, the condition m(a)=M(a)m(\mathbf{a}) = M(\mathbf{a}) is equivalent to
a1=1/a1+a2==1/an1+an=1/an.(1) a_1 = 1/a_1 + a_2 = \cdots = 1/a_{n-1} + a_n = 1/a_n. \tag{1}
Suppose, if possible, that m(x)>m(a)m(\mathbf{x}) > m(\mathbf{a}) for some x=(x1,,xn)\mathbf{x} = (x_1, \dots, x_n) in UU. Then x1m(x)>m(a)=a1x_1 \ge m(\mathbf{x}) > m(\mathbf{a}) = a_1; 1/xk+xk+1m(x)>m(a)=1/ak+ak+11/x_k + x_{k+1} \ge m(\mathbf{x}) > m(\mathbf{a}) = 1/a_k + a_{k+1}, k=1,,n1k = 1, \dots, n-1; and 1/xnm(x)>m(a)=1/an1/x_n \ge m(\mathbf{x}) > m(\mathbf{a}) = 1/a_n. The first nn inequalities imply recursively that xk>akx_k > a_k, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n; in particular, xn>anx_n > a_n, in contradiction with 1/xn>1/an1/x_n > 1/a_n. Consequently, m(x)m(a)m(\mathbf{x}) \le m(\mathbf{a}) for all x\mathbf{x} in UU. Similarly, M(x)M(a)M(\mathbf{x}) \ge M(\mathbf{a}) for all x\mathbf{x} in UU.

To show the existence of an a\mathbf{a} in UU satisfying (1), let aa denote the common value in (1) and notice that ak=bk/bk1a_k = b_k / b_{k-1}, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n, where the bkb_k are defined by
b0=1,b1=a,andbk=abk1bk2,k2.(2) b_0 = 1, \quad b_1 = a, \quad \text{and} \quad b_k = a b_{k-1} - b_{k-2}, \quad k \ge 2. \tag{2}
Since 1/an=a1/a_n = a, it follows that bn1=abnb_{n-1} = a b_n which is equivalent to bn+1=0b_{n+1} = 0. Notice further that a<2a < 2. Otherwise, a1=a2a_1 = a \ge 2 and ak=a1/ak1a_k = a - 1/a_{k-1}, k=2,,nk = 2, \dots, n, would recursively imply that ak1+1/ka_k \ge 1 + 1/k, k=1,,nk = 1, \dots, n; in particular, an1+1/na_n \ge 1 + 1/n, in contradiction with 1/an=a21/a_n = a \ge 2. We may therefore write a=2cosαa = 2 \cos \alpha, for some α\alpha in the open interval (0,π/2)(0, \pi/2), to deduce that the unique solution of (2) is bk=sin((k+1)α)/sinαb_k = \sin((k+1)\alpha)/\sin \alpha. Since b1,,bnb_1, \dots, b_n are all positive, the condition bn+1=0b_{n+1} = 0 yields α=π/(n+2)\alpha = \pi/(n+2) and the conclusion follows.

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