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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it

15. In the sequence {an}\left\{a_{n}\right\}, it is known that a1=2a_{1}=2, and for all positive integers nn, an+1=a1a2an+1a_{n+1}=a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n}+1. Prove:
1a1+1a2++1an12+14++12n \frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{n}} \geqslant \frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{4}+\cdots+\frac{1}{2^{n}}

for all positive integers nn.

Solution

15. Since a1=2a_{1}=2, and for all positive integers nn we have an+1=a1a2an+1a_{n+1}=a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n}+1, therefore, for all positive integers nn we have an2,a1a2an2na_{n} \geqslant 2, a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n} \geqslant 2^{n}.
. We will prove by mathematical induction that for all positive integers nn,
1(1a1+1a2++1an)=1a1a2an. 1-\left(\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{n}}\right)=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n}} .

When n=1n=1, by a1=2a_{1}=2, we have 11a1=1a11-\frac{1}{a_{1}}=\frac{1}{a_{1}}, so the conclusion holds.

Assume that for n=k(k>1,kN)n=k(k>1, k \in \mathbf{N}), the conclusion holds, i.e., 1(1a1+1a2++1ak)=1a1a2ak1-\left(\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{k}}\right)=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k}}.
Then, by ak+1=a1a2ak+1a_{k+1}=a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k}+1, we have
1(1a1+1a2++1ak+1ak+1)1-\left(\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{k}}+\frac{1}{a_{k+1}}\right)
=1a1a2ak1ak+1=ak+1a1a2aka1a2akak+1=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k}}-\frac{1}{a_{k+1}}=\frac{a_{k+1}-a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k}}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k} a_{k+1}}
=1a1a2akak+1=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{k} a_{k+1}}.
Thus, when n=k+1n=k+1, the conclusion also holds.
In summary, for any positive integer nn we have
1(1a1+1a2++1an)=1a1a2an1-\left(\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{n}}\right)=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n}}.
Combining this with a1a2an2na_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n} \geqslant 2^{n}, we know that for all positive integers nn,
11a11a21an=1a1a2an12n1-\frac{1}{a_{1}}-\frac{1}{a_{2}}-\cdots-\frac{1}{a_{n}}=\frac{1}{a_{1} a_{2} \cdots a_{n}} \leqslant \frac{1}{2^{n}}.
Thus, 1a1+1a2++1an112n\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{n}} \geqslant 1-\frac{1}{2^{n}}.
Notice that
12+14++12n=12(112n)112=112n. Hence 1a1+1a2++1an12+14++12n \begin{array}{l} \frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{4}+\cdots+\frac{1}{2^{n}}=\frac{\frac{1}{2}\left(1-\frac{1}{2^{n}}\right)}{1-\frac{1}{2}}=1-\frac{1}{2^{n}} . \\ \text { Hence } \frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_{n}} \geqslant \frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{4}+\cdots+\frac{1}{2^{n}} \end{array}

For all positive integers nn, the above inequality holds.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.