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Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National olympiad Prove it Estonia

Find the least possible sum of 2021 terms of the sequence a1,a2,a3,a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots, where a1=0a_1 = 0, a2=a3=1a_2 = a_3 = 1 and ai+j>ai+aja_{i+j} > a_i + a_j for every i,j2i, j \ge 2.

Solution

Answer: 2101022 \cdot 1010^2.

We show that the least sum arises in the case of the sequence 0,1,1,3,3,5,5,0, 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, \dots (a2i=a2i+1=2i1a_{2i} = a_{2i+1} = 2i - 1 for every i1i \ge 1). Firstly, we show that this sequence meets the conditions of the problem. Indeed, if jj and kk are of the same parity then aj+k=j+k1>(j1)+(k1)aj+aka_{j+k} = j + k - 1 > (j - 1) + (k - 1) \ge a_j + a_k. If jj and kk have different parities then letting, w.l.o.g., jj be even, we obtain aj+k=j+k2>(j1)+(k2)=aj+aka_{j+k} = j + k - 2 > (j - 1) + (k - 2) = a_j + a_k.

We prove now that if a1,a2,a3,a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots is an arbitrary sequence of integers satisfying the conditions of the problems then a2n2n1a_{2n} \ge 2n - 1 if a2n+12n1a_{2n+1} \ge 2n - 1 for any positive integer nn. We proceed by induction on nn. The base cases a21a_2 \ge 1 and a31a_3 \ge 1 hold. If a2n2n1a_{2n} \ge 2n - 1 then, from the conditions of the problem,
a2n+2a2n+a2+12n1+1+1=2(n+1)1, a_{2n+2} \ge a_{2n} + a_2 + 1 \ge 2n - 1 + 1 + 1 = 2(n + 1) - 1,
which proves the induction step for even indices. The same holds for odd indices: If a2n+12n1a_{2n+1} \ge 2n - 1 then
a2n+3a2n+1+a2+12n1+1+1=2(n+1)1. a_{2n+3} \ge a_{2n+1} + a_2 + 1 \ge 2n - 1 + 1 + 1 = 2(n + 1) - 1.
Thus the least sum of 2021 terms is 2(1+3++2019)2(1 + 3 + \dots + 2019), i.e., 2101022 \cdot 1010^2.

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