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Algebra Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it

Given the sequence {an}\{a_n\} satisfies a1=1a_1=1, an+1=anan2+1a_{n+1}= \dfrac {a_n}{a_n^2+1}.
(I) Prove that: an+1<ana_{n+1} < a_n;
(II) Prove that: 12n1an2n32n4\dfrac {1}{2^{n-1}}\leqslant a_n\leqslant \dfrac {2^{n}}{3\cdot 2^{n}-4}.

Solution

Solution:
(I) Proof: From a1=1a_1=1, an+1=anan2+1a_{n+1}= \dfrac {a_n}{a_n^2+1}, we get an>0a_n > 0 for all nNn\in\mathbb{N},
then an+1an=anan2+1an=an3an2+112ana_{n+1}-a_n= \dfrac {a_n}{a_n^2+1}-a_n= \dfrac {- a_n^3}{ a_n^2+1} \dfrac {1}{2}a_n,
an>12an1(12)2an2(12)n1a1=12n1\therefore a_n > \dfrac {1}{2}a_{n-1}\geqslant ( \dfrac {1}{2})^2a_{n-2}\geqslant …\geqslant ( \dfrac {1}{2})^{n-1}a_1= \dfrac {1}{2^{n-1}}, i.e., an12n1a_n\geqslant \dfrac {1}{2^{n-1}}.
From an+1=anan2+1a_{n+1}= \dfrac {a_n}{a_n^2+1}, then 1an+1=an+1an\dfrac {1}{a_{n+1}}=a_n+ \dfrac {1}{a_n},
1an+11an=an\therefore \dfrac {1}{a_{n+1}}- \dfrac {1}{a_n}=a_n,
1a21a1=a1=1\therefore \dfrac {1}{a_2}- \dfrac {1}{a_1}=a_1=1, 1a31a2=a2=12\dfrac {1}{a_3}- \dfrac {1}{a_2}=a_2= \dfrac {1}{2}, 1a41a3=a3=(12)21an1an1=an1(12)n2\dfrac {1}{a_4}- \dfrac {1}{a_3}=a_3=( \dfrac {1}{2})^2… \dfrac {1}{a_n}- \dfrac {1}{a_{n-1}}=a_{n-1}\geqslant ( \dfrac {1}{2})^{n-2},
Summing up, we get 1an1a1=1+12+(12)2++(12)n2=112n1112=2(12)n2\dfrac {1}{a_n}- \dfrac {1}{a_1}=1+ \dfrac {1}{2}+( \dfrac {1}{2})^2+…+( \dfrac {1}{2})^{n-2}= \dfrac {1- \dfrac {1}{2^{n-1}}}{1- \dfrac {1}{2}}=2-( \dfrac {1}{2})^{n-2},
and since a1=1a_1=1,
1an3(12)n2=32n212n2=32n42n\therefore \dfrac {1}{a_n}\geqslant 3-( \dfrac {1}{2})^{n-2}= \dfrac {3\cdot 2^{n-2}-1}{2^{n-2}}= \dfrac {3\cdot 2^{n}-4}{2^{n}},
an2n32n4\therefore a_n\leqslant \dfrac {2^{n}}{3\cdot 2^{n}-4}.
In conclusion, we have 12n1an2n32n4\boxed{\dfrac {1}{2^{n-1}}\leqslant a_n\leqslant \dfrac {2^{n}}{3\cdot 2^{n}-4}}.

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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.