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Algebra Difficulty 8.0 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Let {an}\{a_n\} and {bn}\{b_n\} be two sequences of positive real numbers such that, for any positive integer nn,
an+1=an11+i=1n1ai,andbn+1=bn+11+i=1n1bi. a_{n+1} = a_n - \frac{1}{1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_i}}, \quad \text{and} \quad b_{n+1} = b_n + \frac{1}{1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{b_i}}.
(1)
If a100b100=a101b101a_{100}b_{100} = a_{101}b_{101}, find the value of a1b1a_1 - b_1.
(2)
If a100=b99a_{100} = b_{99}, which one of a100+b100a_{100} + b_{100} and a101+b101a_{101} + b_{101} is larger?

Solution

(1) Set a1=aa_1 = a and b1=bb_1 = b (a,b>0a, b > 0). The recurrence formula of ana_n implies that, for any positive integer n2n \ge 2, we have
1anan+1=1+i=1n1ai    1anan+1=1an1an+1an. \frac{1}{a_n - a_{n+1}} = 1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_i} \implies \frac{1}{a_n - a_{n+1}} = \frac{1}{a_{n-1} - a_n} + \frac{1}{a_n}.
That is, ananan1=anan1an+1=an1an1an\frac{a_n}{a_n - a_{n-1}} = \frac{a_n}{a_{n-1} - a_n} + 1 = \frac{a_{n-1}}{a_{n-1} - a_n}. From this, we obtain an+1an=anan1\frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} = \frac{a_n}{a_{n-1}}.
So {an}\{a_n\} is a geometric sequence with common ratio aa+1\frac{a}{a+1}, and the general term is
an=an(a+1)n1.a_n = \frac{a^n}{(a+1)^{n-1}}.
Similarly, the recurrence formula for bnb_n implies that
1bn+1bn=1+i=1n1bi=1bnbn1+1bn. \frac{1}{b_{n+1} - b_n} = 1 + \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{b_i} = \frac{1}{b_n - b_{n-1}} + \frac{1}{b_n}.
Thus, bnbn+1bn=bnbn1bn+1\frac{b_n}{b_{n+1} - b_n} = \frac{b_n}{b_{n-1} - b_n} + 1. By induction, we have bnbn+1bn=b1b2b1+2(n1)=b+2n1\frac{b_n}{b_{n+1} - b_n} = \frac{b_1}{b_2 - b_1} + 2(n-1) = b + 2n - 1. Therefore, bn+1bn=b+2nb+2n1\frac{b_{n+1}}{b_n} = \frac{b + 2n}{b + 2n - 1}.
From this, we get bn=bk=1n1b+2kb+2k1b_n = b \prod_{k=1}^{n-1} \frac{b+2k}{b+2k-1}.
The condition a100b100=a101b101a_{100}b_{100} = a_{101}b_{101} in (1) implies that a100a101=b101b100\frac{a_{100}}{a_{101}} = \frac{b_{101}}{b_{100}}, i.e. a+1a=b+200b+199\frac{a+1}{a} = \frac{b+200}{b+199}. So a=b+199a = b + 199 and thus a1b1=ab=199a_1 - b_1 = a - b = 199.

(2) Method 1. It is clear that {an}\{a_n\} is monotonically decreasing and {bn}\{b_n\} is monotonically increasing. Together with the condition a100=b99a_{100} = b_{99}, we deduce that
(*) a1>a2>>a99>a100=b99>b98>>b1>0a_1 > a_2 > \dots > a_{99} > a_{100} = b_{99} > b_{98} > \dots > b_1 > 0.
In turn, we deduce that
a99=a100+11+i=1991ai>b99+11+i=1991bi=b100. a_{99} = a_{100} + \frac{1}{1 + \sum_{i=1}^{99} \frac{1}{a_i}} > b_{99} + \frac{1}{1 + \sum_{i=1}^{99} \frac{1}{b_i}} = b_{100}.

Method 2. Since a100=b99a_{100} = b_{99}, we have
()a100(a+1)99=b(b+2)(b+196)(b+1)(b+3)(b+195). (**) \qquad \frac{a^{100}}{(a+1)^{99}} = \frac{b(b+2)\cdots(b+196)}{(b+1)(b+3)\cdots(b+195)}.
To prove a100+b100>a101+b101a_{100} + b_{100} > a_{101} + b_{101}, it is equivalent to prove that
a100a101>b101b100a100a101a100>b101b100b991aa+1>(b+198)(b+200)(b+197)(b+199)b+198b+1971a+1>b+198(b+197)(b+199)()a<b+1971b+198. \begin{aligned} a_{100} - a_{101} &> b_{101} - b_{100} \\ \Longleftrightarrow \frac{a_{100} - a_{101}}{a_{100}} &> \frac{b_{101} - b_{100}}{b_{99}} \\ \Longleftrightarrow 1 - \frac{a}{a+1} &> \frac{(b+198)(b+200)}{(b+197)(b+199)} - \frac{b+198}{b+197} \\ \Longleftrightarrow \frac{1}{a+1} &> \frac{b+198}{(b+197)(b+199)} \\ (*) & \Longleftrightarrow a < b+197 - \frac{1}{b+198}. \end{aligned}
We prove this by contradiction. Suppose that ab+1971b+198a \ge b + 197 - \frac{1}{b+198}, in particular, a>b+196a > b + 196. We have
a2a+1(b+196)=a(ab196)(b+196)a+11a+1((b+1971b+198)(11b+198)(b+196))>1a+1((b+1971b+197)b+197b+198(b+196))=0. \begin{aligned} \frac{a^2}{a+1} - (b+196) &= \frac{a(a-b-196) - (b+196)}{a+1} \\ &\ge \frac{1}{a+1} \left( \left( b+197 - \frac{1}{b+198} \right) \left( 1 - \frac{1}{b+198} \right) - (b+196) \right) \\ &> \frac{1}{a+1} \left( \left( b+197 - \frac{1}{b+197} \right) \frac{b+197}{b+198} - (b+196) \right) = 0. \end{aligned}
But note that aa+1>b+194b+195>b+192b+193>>bb+1\frac{a}{a+1} > \frac{b+194}{b+195} > \frac{b+192}{b+193} > \cdots > \frac{b}{b+1}, we have
a100(a+1)99=(aa+1)98a2a+1>bb+1b+194b+195(b+196), \frac{a^{100}}{(a+1)^{99}} = \left(\frac{a}{a+1}\right)^{98} \frac{a^2}{a+1} > \frac{b}{b+1} \cdots \frac{b+194}{b+195} (b+196),
contradicting with ()! So (*) holds, and thus a100+b100>a101+b101a_{100} + b_{100} > a_{101} + b_{101}.

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