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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Romania

a) Let aRa \in \mathbb{R} and f:RRf : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} be a continuous function, having antiderivative F:RRF : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, such that F(x)+af(x)0F(x) + a \cdot f(x) \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}, and limxF(x)eαx=0\lim_{|x|\to\infty} \frac{F(x)}{e^{|\alpha \cdot x|}} = 0, for any αR\alpha \in \mathbb{R}^*. Prove that F(x)0F(x) \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

b) Let nN{0,1}n \in \mathbb{N} \setminus \{0,1\}, g=Xn+a1Xn1++an1X+anR[X]g = X^n + a_1 X^{n-1} + \dots + a_{n-1} X + a_n \in \mathbb{R}[X] a polynomial with all its roots real and f:RRf : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, a polynomial function such that f(x)+a1f(x)+a2f(2)(x)++anf(n)(x)0f(x) + a_1 \cdot f'(x) + a_2 \cdot f^{(2)}(x) + \dots + a_n \cdot f^{(n)}(x) \ge 0, for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}. Show that f(x)0f(x) \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

Solution

a) For a=0a = 0 the result is obvious. For a0a \ne 0, consider the differentiable function g:RRg : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} defined by g(x)=F(x)exag(x) = F(x) \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}}. We have
g(x)=f(x)exa+1aF(x)exa=1aexa(F(x)+af(x)). g'(x) = f(x) \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot F(x) \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}} = \frac{1}{a} \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}} \cdot \left( F(x) + a \cdot f(x) \right).
For a>0a > 0 it is obvious that g(x)0g'(x) \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}, implying that gg is non-decreasing. As limxg(x)=limxF(x)exa=0\lim_{x \to -\infty} g(x) = \lim_{x \to -\infty} F(x) \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}} = 0, we get g(x)0g(x) \ge 0, for any xRx \in \mathbb{R}, thus F(x)=g(x)exa0F(x) = g(x) \cdot e^{-\frac{x}{a}} \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}.
If a<0a < 0, g(x)0g'(x) \le 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}, implying that gg is non-increasing. As limxg(x)=limxF(x)exa=0\lim_{x \to \infty} g(x) = \lim_{x \to -\infty} F(x) \cdot e^{\frac{x}{a}} = 0, we obtain g(x)0g(x) \ge 0, for xRx \in \mathbb{R}. It follows that F(x)=g(x)exa0F(x) = g(x) \cdot e^{-\frac{x}{a}} \ge 0, for any xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

b) Let P={ff:RR,f is a polynomial function}\mathcal{P} = \{f \mid f : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, f \text{ is a polynomial function}\}. For any real aa consider the function Ta:PPT_a : \mathcal{P} \to \mathcal{P}, defined by Ta(f)=f+afT_a(f) = f + a \cdot f', i.e., Ta(f)(x)=f(x)+af(x)T_a(f)(x) = f(x) + a \cdot f'(x), for any xRx \in \mathbb{R}. As for any fPf \in \mathcal{P} and any αR\alpha \in \mathbb{R}, we have limxf(x)eαx=0\lim_{|x|\to\infty} \frac{f(x)}{e^{|\alpha \cdot x|}} = 0, by a), for real aa, we have the implication
fP:Ta(f)(x)0,xR    f(x)0,xR. f \in \mathcal{P} : T_a(f)(x) \ge 0, \forall x \in \mathbb{R} \implies f(x) \ge 0, \forall x \in \mathbb{R}.
Consider the roots r1,r2,,rnr_1, r_2, \dots, r_n of gg, and sk=rks_k = -r_k for k{1,2,,n}k \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\} their opposites. Then g=(Xr1)(Xr2)(Xrn)=(X+s1)(X+s2)(X+sn)g = (X - r_1)(X - r_2) \dots (X - r_n) = (X + s_1)(X + s_2) \dots (X + s_n).
By Vieta, we obtain the coefficients of gg:
ak=1i1<i2<<iknsi1si2sik,for any k{1,2,,n}. a_k = \sum_{1 \le i_1 < i_2 < \dots < i_k \le n} s_{i_1} s_{i_2} \dots s_{i_k}, \quad \text{for any } k \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\}.
For m{1,2,,n}m \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\} and any fPf \in \mathcal{P}, we get
(TsmTs2Ts1)(f)=f+(i=1msi)f+(1i1<i2msi1si2)f++(1i1<i2<<ikmsi1si2sik)f(k)++(s1s2sm)f(m).(Q(m)) (T_{s_m} \circ \dots \circ T_{s_2} \circ T_{s_1})(f) = f + \left(\sum_{i=1}^m s_i\right) f' + \left(\sum_{1 \le i_1 < i_2 \le m} s_{i_1} s_{i_2}\right) f'' + \dots \\ \dots + \left(\sum_{1 \le i_1 < i_2 < \dots < i_k \le m} s_{i_1} s_{i_2} \dots s_{i_k}\right) f^{(k)} + \dots + (s_1 s_2 \dots s_m) f^{(m)}. \quad (Q(m))
If for m{1,2,,n1}m \in \{1, 2, \dots, n-1\}, Q(m)Q(m) is supposed to be true, we have
(Tsm+1TmTs2Ts1)(f)=Tsm+1(TmTs1)(f)==Tsm+1(J{1,2,,m}(jJsj)fJ)==(J{1,2,,m}(jJsj)fJ)++sm+1(J{1,2,,m}(jJsj)fJ)=J1{1,2,,m,m+1}(jJ1sj)fJ1 \begin{align*} (T_{s_{m+1}} \circ T_m \circ \dots T_{s_2} \circ T_{s_1})(f) &= T_{s_{m+1}}(T_m \circ \dots \circ T_{s_1})(f) = \\ &= T_{s_{m+1}} \left( \sum_{J \subseteq \{1, 2, \dots, m\}} \left( \prod_{j \in J} s_j \right) f^{|J|} \right) = \\ &= \left( \sum_{J \subseteq \{1, 2, \dots, m\}} \left( \prod_{j \in J} s_j \right) f^{|J|} \right) + \\ &\quad + s_{m+1} \cdot \left( \sum_{J \subseteq \{1, 2, \dots, m\}} \left( \prod_{j \in J} s_j \right) f^{|J|} \right)' \\ &= \sum_{J_1 \subseteq \{1, 2, \dots, m, m+1\}} \left( \prod_{j \in J_1} s_j \right) f^{|J_1|} \end{align*}
so Q(m+1)Q(m+1) is also true.

From Q(n)Q(n), we have
(TsnTs2Ts1)(f)=f+a1f+a2f++anf(n). (T_{s_n} \circ \dots \circ T_{s_2} \circ T_{s_1}) (f) = f + a_1 \cdot f' + a_2 \cdot f'' + \dots + a_n \cdot f^{(n)}.
By the hypothesis, we have
(TsnTs2Ts1)(f)(x)=f(x)+a1f(x)+a2f(x)++anf(n)(x)0,(T_{s_n} \circ \dots \circ T_{s_2} \circ T_{s_1}) (f)(x) = f(x) + a_1 \cdot f'(x) + a_2 \cdot f''(x) + \dots + a_n \cdot f^{(n)}(x) \geq 0,
for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}.
Successively, applying a), for m{1,2,,n}m \in \{1, 2, \dots, n\}, we get
(TsmTs2Ts1)(f)(x)0,for any xR. (T_{s_m} \circ \dots \circ T_{s_2} \circ T_{s_1}) (f)(x) \geq 0, \quad \text{for any } x \in \mathbb{R}.
In particular f(x)0f(x) \geq 0, for any xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

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