(1) Set a1=a and b1=b (a,b>0). The recurrence formula of an implies that, for any positive integer n≥2, we have
an−an+11=1+i=1∑nai1⟹an−an+11=an−1−an1+an1.
That is, an−an−1an=an−1−anan+1=an−1−anan−1. From this, we obtain anan+1=an−1an.
So {an} is a geometric sequence with common ratio a+1a, and the general term is
an=(a+1)n−1an.
Similarly, the recurrence formula for bn implies that
bn+1−bn1=1+i=1∑nbi1=bn−bn−11+bn1.
Thus, bn+1−bnbn=bn−1−bnbn+1. By induction, we have bn+1−bnbn=b2−b1b1+2(n−1)=b+2n−1. Therefore, bnbn+1=b+2n−1b+2n.
From this, we get bn=b∏k=1n−1b+2k−1b+2k.
The condition a100b100=a101b101 in (1) implies that a101a100=b100b101, i.e. aa+1=b+199b+200. So a=b+199 and thus a1−b1=a−b=199.
(2) Method 1. It is clear that {an} is monotonically decreasing and {bn} is monotonically increasing. Together with the condition a100=b99, we deduce that
(*) a1>a2>⋯>a99>a100=b99>b98>⋯>b1>0.
In turn, we deduce that
a99=a100+1+∑i=199ai11>b99+1+∑i=199bi11=b100.
Method 2. Since a100=b99, we have
(∗∗)(a+1)99a100=(b+1)(b+3)⋯(b+195)b(b+2)⋯(b+196).
To prove a100+b100>a101+b101, it is equivalent to prove that
a100−a101⟺a100a100−a101⟺1−a+1a⟺a+11(∗)>b101−b100>b99b101−b100>(b+197)(b+199)(b+198)(b+200)−b+197b+198>(b+197)(b+199)b+198⟺a<b+197−b+1981.
We prove this by contradiction. Suppose that a≥b+197−b+1981, in particular, a>b+196. We have
a+1a2−(b+196)=a+1a(a−b−196)−(b+196)≥a+11((b+197−b+1981)(1−b+1981)−(b+196))>a+11((b+197−b+1971)b+198b+197−(b+196))=0.
But note that a+1a>b+195b+194>b+193b+192>⋯>b+1b, we have
(a+1)99a100=(a+1a)98a+1a2>b+1b⋯b+195b+194(b+196),
contradicting with ()! So (*) holds, and thus a100+b100>a101+b101.