We shall actually prove that
x1>0,…,xn>0maxmin(x1,1/x1+x2,…,1/xn−1+xn,1/xn)x1>0,…,xn>0minmax(x1,1/x1+x2,…,1/xn−1+xn,1/xn)==2cos(n+2π).
To this end, let U denote the set of all n-tuples of positive real numbers, and, for x=(x1,…,xn) in U, let
m(x)=min(x1,1/x1+x2,…,1/xn−1+xn,1/xn)
and
M(x)=max(x1,1/x1+x2,…,1/xn−1+xn,1/xn).
The first step consists in assuming that m(a)=M(a) for some a=(a1,…,an) in U and showing that m(x)≤m(a)=M(a)≤M(x) for all x in U. Clearly, the condition m(a)=M(a) is equivalent to
a1=1/a1+a2=⋯=1/an−1+an=1/an.(1)
Suppose, if possible, that m(x)>m(a) for some x=(x1,…,xn) in U. Then x1≥m(x)>m(a)=a1; 1/xk+xk+1≥m(x)>m(a)=1/ak+ak+1, k=1,…,n−1; and 1/xn≥m(x)>m(a)=1/an. The first n inequalities imply recursively that xk>ak, k=1,…,n; in particular, xn>an, in contradiction with 1/xn>1/an. Consequently, m(x)≤m(a) for all x in U. Similarly, M(x)≥M(a) for all x in U.
To show the existence of an a in U satisfying (1), let a denote the common value in (1) and notice that ak=bk/bk−1, k=1,…,n, where the bk are defined by
b0=1,b1=a,andbk=abk−1−bk−2,k≥2.(2)
Since 1/an=a, it follows that bn−1=abn which is equivalent to bn+1=0. Notice further that a<2. Otherwise, a1=a≥2 and ak=a−1/ak−1, k=2,…,n, would recursively imply that ak≥1+1/k, k=1,…,n; in particular, an≥1+1/n, in contradiction with 1/an=a≥2. We may therefore write a=2cosα, for some α in the open interval (0,π/2), to deduce that the unique solution of (2) is bk=sin((k+1)α)/sinα. Since b1,…,bn are all positive, the condition bn+1=0 yields α=π/(n+2) and the conclusion follows.