AlgebraDifficulty 7.2National olympiad, round 2Prove it
Example 5.1.3 Let x1,x2,⋯,xn be a sequence of positive real numbers, and satisfy x1+x2+⋯+xk≥k∀k∈{1,2,⋯,n}. Prove the following inequality: x12+x22+⋯+xn2≥41(1+21+31+⋯+n1)(USA MO 1994)
Solution
Proof: Without loss of generality, assume x1≥x2≥⋯≥xn. For k∈{1,2,⋯,n}, let bk=k1, we will first prove 2i=1∑nxi2≥i=1∑nxibi
and 2i=1∑nxibi≥i=1∑nbi2
By Abel's formula, we have ∑i=1nxi(2xi−bi)=(x1−x2)(2x1−b1)+(x2−x3)(2x1+2x2−b1−b2)+⋯+(xn−1−xn)(2∑i=1n−1xi−∑i=1n−1bi)+xn(2∑i=1nxi−∑i=1nbi)
Since xk≥xk+1∀k∈{1,2,⋯,n}, we only need to prove 2∑i=1nxi≥∑i=1nbi By the given condition, we only need to prove i=1∑ki1≤2k
However, the last inequality is obviously true, because i=1∑ki1≤i=1∑ki+i−12=2i=1∑k(i−i−1)=2k
This can also be derived by Abel's formula, ∑i=1nbi(2xi−bi)=(b1−b2)(2x1−b1)+⋯+(bn−1−bn)(2∑i=1n−1xi−∑i=1n−1bi)++bn(2∑i=1nxi−∑i=1nxi−∑i=1nbi) bn≥bk+1,∀k∈{1,2,⋯,n}, so all terms are positive.
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