Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /18 of 23

Algebra Difficulty 6.9 National olympiad Prove it Ireland

Let nn be a positive integer and a1,,ana_1, \dots, a_n positive real numbers. Let
sk=a1k++ank s_k = a_1^k + \dots + a_n^k
for k=1,2,3,k = 1, 2, 3, \dots. Prove that
s5s135s4s2s124+s24200. \frac{s_5 s_1^3}{5} - \frac{s_4 s_2 s_1^2}{4} + \frac{s_2^4}{20} \ge 0.

Solution

4s5s13+s245s4s2s12. 4s_5 s_1^3 + s_2^4 \geq 5s_4 s_2 s_1^2.
Using the AM-GM inequality, 4s5s13+s245[s5s112s24]1/54s_5 s_1^3 + s_2^4 \geq 5 [s_5 s_1^{12} s_2^4]^{1/5}, so it suffices to prove that
s54s24s112s45s25s110, s_5^4 s_2^4 s_1^{12} \geq s_4^5 s_2^5 s_1^{10},
and thus, using the positivity of sks_k, that s5s12s4s2s_5 s_1^2 \geq s_4 s_2.

Observe that s5s3s42s_5 s_3 \geq s_4^2, since, on expansion i=1nai8\sum_{i=1}^n a_i^8 occurs on both sides, and each term (ai5aj3+ai3aj5)=(ai3aj3)(ai2+aj2)ai3aj3(2aiaj)=2ai4aj4(a_i^5 a_j^3 + a_i^3 a_j^5) = (a_i^3 a_j^3)(a_i^2 + a_j^2) \geq a_i^3 a_j^3 (2a_i a_j) = 2a_i^4 a_j^4 for all i<ji < j.

Observe also that s5s1s32s_5 s_1 \geq s_3^2, since, on expansion, i=1nai8\sum_{i=1}^n a_i^8 occurs on both sides, and each term (ai5aj+aiaj5)=aiaj(ai4+aj4)2aiaj(ai2aj2)=2ai3aj3(a_i^5 a_j + a_i a_j^5) = a_i a_j (a_i^4 + a_j^4) \geq 2a_i a_j (a_i^2 a_j^2) = 2a_i^3 a_j^3, (i<j)(i < j).

Observe further that s5s1s4s2s_5 s_1 \geq s_4 s_2, since
(ai5aj+aiaj5)(ai4aj2+ai2aj4)=aiaj(aiaj)2(ai2+aiaj+aj2)0. (a_i^5 a_j + a_i a_j^5) - (a_i^4 a_j^2 + a_i^2 a_j^4) = a_i a_j (a_i - a_j)^2 (a_i^2 + a_i a_j + a_j^2) \geq 0.
Now s5s32s12s22s4s12s5s4s32s1s45s22s2s_5 s_3^2 s_1^2 \geq s_2^2 s_4 s_1^2 \geq s_5 s_4 s_3^2 s_1 \geq s_4^5 s_2^2 s_2, and the result follows.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.