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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Vietnam

Define a sequence (an)(a_n) as follows
{a1=1,an+1=3an+22anfor n1. \begin{cases} a_1 = 1, \\ a_{n+1} = 3 - \frac{a_n + 2}{2^{a_n}} \quad \text{for } n \ge 1. \end{cases}
Prove that this sequence has a finite limit and find this limit.

Solution

Firstly, by induction, one can prove that
an>1,n>1 a_n > 1, \quad \forall n > 1
because the function u(x)=2x+1x2u(x) = 2^{x+1} - x - 2 is increasing on (1,+)(1, +\infty). It implies that
an+1=3an+22an<3,n1. a_{n+1} = 3 - \frac{a_n + 2}{2^{a_n}} < 3, \quad \forall n \ge 1.
Next, we will prove that (an)(a_n) is an increasing sequence. Considering the function f(x)=32+x2xf(x) = 3 - \frac{2+x}{2^x} where 1<x<31 < x < 3. We have
f(x)=ln4+xln212x>0, f'(x) = \frac{\ln 4 + x \ln 2 - 1}{2^x} > 0,
so f(x)f(x) is increasing on (1,3)(1, 3). Moreover a2=32>a1a_2 = \frac{3}{2} > a_1 so (an)(a_n) is an increasing sequence. Note that (an)(a_n) is bounded above by 33 so (an)(a_n) has a finite limit. Let L(1,3)L \in (1, 3) be that limit. Letting nn tends to infinity, we have L=3L+22LL = 3 - \frac{L+2}{2^L}. We will prove the equation
x=3x+22x(1) x = 3 - \frac{x+2}{2^x} \quad (1)
has a unique solution on (1,3)(1, 3). Indeed, consider the function g(x)=3x+22xxg(x) = 3 - \frac{x+2}{2^x} - x where x(1,3)x \in (1, 3), we have
g(x)=ln4+xln212x1=ln4+xln212x2x, g'(x) = \frac{\ln 4 + x \ln 2 - 1}{2^x} - 1 = \frac{\ln 4 + x \ln 2 - 1 - 2^x}{2^x},
Setting h(x)=ln4+xln212xh(x) = \ln 4 + x \ln 2 - 1 - 2^x, for x(1,3)x \in (1, 3) then
h(x)=ln2(12x)<0,x(1,3), h'(x) = \ln 2(1 - 2^x) < 0, \quad \forall x \in (1, 3),
so h(x)h(x) is a decreasing function on (1,3)(1, 3). Thus, h(x)<h(1)=ln83<0h(x) < h(1) = \ln 8 - 3 < 0, or ln4+xln212x<0\ln 4 + x \ln 2 - 1 - 2^x < 0 for all x(1,3)x \in (1, 3). Thus, the function g(x)g(x) is decreasing on (1,3)(1, 3) and the equation g(x)=0g(x) = 0 has no more than one solution.
Furthermore, g(2)=0g(2) = 0 so x=2x = 2 is the unique solution of (1) which means L=2L = 2 is the limit of the given sequence. \square

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