[Proof] For any permutation π=(y1,y2,⋯,yn) of x1,x2,⋯,xn. Let S(π)=y1+2y2+⋯+nyn.
Let r=2n+1.
We need to prove that there exists a permutation π such that ∣S(π)∣⩽r.
Let π0=(x1,x2,⋯,xn),πˉ=(xn,xn−1,⋯,x1).
If ∣S(π0)∣⩽r or ∣S(π)∣⩽r, then the problem is solved. If ∣S(π0)∣>r and ∣S(πˉ)∣>r. Note that
S(π0)+S(πˉ)=(x1+2x2+⋯+nxn)+(xn+2xn−1+⋯+nx1)=(n+1)(x1+x2+⋯+xn),
so ∣S(π0)+S(πˉ)∣=n+1=2r.
Since ∣S(π0) | and ∣S(πˉ)∣ are both greater than r, S(π0) and S(πˉ) have opposite signs, and one of them is greater than r, the other is less than −r.
Starting from π0, by swapping the positions of two adjacent elements several times, we can obtain any permutation. In particular, there exists a sequence of permutations
π0,π1,π2,⋯,πm,
where πm=πˉ, and for each i∈{0,1,⋯,m−1}, permutation πi+1 is obtained by swapping the positions of two adjacent elements in πi. That is, if
πi=(y1,y2,⋯,yn),πi+1=(z1,z2,⋯,zn), then there exists k∈{1,2, ⋯,n−1}, such that
zk=yk+1,zk+1=yk;zj=yj,j∈/{k,k+1} when. Since ∣xi∣⩽r, i=1,2,⋯,n, we have
=∣S(πi+1)−S(πi)∣=∣kzk+(k+1)zk+1−kyk−(k+1)yk+1∣∣yk−yk+1∣⩽∣yk∣+∣yk+1∣⩽2r.
This shows that in the sequence S(π0),S(π1),⋯,S(πm), the distance between any two adjacent numbers does not exceed 2r. Noting that S(π0) and S(πm) both fall outside the interval [−r,r], and are on opposite sides of the interval, at least one number S(πi) falls within the interval. That is, there exists a permutation πi such that
∣S(πi)∣⩽r.