Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /453 of 520

Algebra Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it

Prove using mathematical induction that for all positive integers nn:
12+22++(n1)2+n2+(n1)2++22+12=n(2n2+1)31^{2} + 2^{2} + \cdots + (n-1)^{2} + n^{2} + (n-1)^{2} + \cdots + 2^{2} + 1^{2} = \frac{n(2n^{2}+1)}{3}
When proving the case for n=k+1n=k+1, assuming the case for n=kn=k is true, what expression needs to be added to the left side of the equation?

Solution

To prove this by induction, we need to verify that the statement holds for the base case and show that if it holds for an arbitrary case n=kn=k, then it also holds for the case n=k+1n=k+1.

Base case: For n=1n=1, the left side is 121^2, and the right side is 1(212+1)3=33=1\frac{1(2\cdot1^2+1)}{3} = \frac{3}{3} = 1. So the statement holds.

Inductive step: Assume the statement holds for n=kn=k:
12+22++(k1)2+k2+(k1)2++22+12=k(2k2+1)31^2 + 2^2 + \ldots + (k-1)^2 + k^2 + (k-1)^2 + \ldots + 2^2 + 1^2 = \frac{k(2k^2+1)}{3}
Now, we need to prove it for n=k+1n=k+1. We must add (k+1)2(k+1)^2 and k2k^2 to the sum, as we increment nn by 1, resulting in:
12+22++(k1)2+k2+(k+1)2+k2+(k1)2++22+121^2 + 2^2 + \ldots + (k-1)^2 + k^2 + (k+1)^2 + k^2 + (k-1)^2 + \ldots + 2^2 + 1^2

From the inductive hypothesis, we already have k(2k2+1)3\frac{k(2k^2+1)}{3}, so we need to add:
(k+1)2+k2(k+1)^2 + k^2

Combining this with the inductive hypothesis, we get:
k(2k2+1)3+(k+1)2+k2=k(2k2+1)+3(k+1)2+3k23\frac{k(2k^2+1)}{3} + (k+1)^2 + k^2 = \frac{k(2k^2+1)+3(k+1)^2+3k^2}{3}
To prove that this equals (k+1)(2(k+1)2+1)3\frac{(k+1)(2(k+1)^2+1)}{3}, we need to expand and simplify the numerator:
k(2k2+1)+3(k2+2k+1)+3k2k(2k^2+1)+3(k^2+2k+1)+3k^2
=2k3+k+3k2+6k+3+3k2= 2k^3 + k + 3k^2 + 6k + 3 + 3k^2
=2k3+6k2+7k+3= 2k^3 + 6k^2 + 7k + 3
=(2k3+4k2+2k)+(2k2+6k+3)= (2k^3 + 4k^2 + 2k) + (2k^2 + 6k + 3)
=2k(k2+2k+1)+(2k2+6k+3)= 2k(k^2 + 2k + 1) + (2k^2 + 6k + 3)
=2k(k+1)2+(2k+1)(k+1)= \boxed{2k(k + 1)^2 + (2k + 1)(k + 1)}

To express this as a single fraction, we need it to match the format of (k+1)(2(k+1)2+1)3\frac{(k+1)(2(k+1)^2+1)}{3}, which is:
(k+1)(2k2+4k+2+1)3=(k+1)(2k2+4k+3)3\frac{(k+1)(2k^2+4k+2+1)}{3} = \frac{(k+1)(2k^2+4k+3)}{3}
=2k3+6k2+7k+33= \frac{2k^3 + 6k^2 + 7k + 3}{3}

The two expressions are equivalent, thus the induction step is proved, and the expression that needs to be added to the left side when moving from n=kn=k to n=k+1n=k+1 is:
(k+1)2+k2\boxed{(k+1)^2 + k^2}

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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