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Algebra Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it

(1) If aa and bb are both positive numbers, and aba \neq b, prove that: ab+ba>a+b\frac {a}{ \sqrt {b}}+ \frac {b}{ \sqrt {a}} > \sqrt {a}+ \sqrt {b}
(2) For the sequence {an}\{a_n\}, it is known that an>0a_n > 0 and (a1+a2++an)2=a13+a23++an3(a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n)^2 = a_1^3+a_2^3+\ldots+a_n^3, find a1a_1, a2a_2, a3a_3, and conjecture ana_n.

Solution

(1) Proof: Since aa and bb are both positive numbers, and aba \neq b,
we have ab+b>2a\frac {a}{ \sqrt {b}}+ \sqrt {b} > 2 \sqrt {a} and ba+a>2b\frac {b}{ \sqrt {a}}+ \sqrt {a} > 2 \sqrt {b},
therefore ab+ba>a+b\frac {a}{ \sqrt {b}}+ \frac {b}{ \sqrt {a}} > \sqrt {a}+ \sqrt {b}
(2) Solution: According to the problem, a13=a12a_1^3 = a_1^2,
solving this gives a1=1a_1 = 1 or a1=0a_1 = 0 (discard),
since a13+a23=(a1+a2)2a_1^3+a_2^3 = (a_1+a_2)^2, i.e., 1+a23=(1+a2)21+a_2^3 = (1+a_2)^2,
thus 1+a23=1+2a2+a221+a_2^3 = 1+2a_2+a_2^2,
solving this gives a2=2a_2 = 2 or a2=1a_2 = -1 (discard);
therefore, the values of a1a_1 and a2a_2 are 11 and 22, respectively;
since a13+a23++an3=(a1+a2++an)2a_1^3+a_2^3+\ldots+a_n^3 = (a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n)^2,
thus a13+a23++an3+an+13=(a1+a2++an+an+1)2a_1^3+a_2^3+\ldots+a_n^3+a_{n+1}^3 = (a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n+a_{n+1})^2.
Subtracting the former from the latter, we get an+13=(a1+a2++an+an+1)2(a1+a2++an)2a_{n+1}^3 = (a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n+a_{n+1})^2 - (a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n)^2,
which simplifies to an+13=[2(a1+a2++an)+an+1]an+1a_{n+1}^3 = [2(a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n)+a_{n+1}]a_{n+1},
since an>0a_n > 0,
we have an+12=2(a1+a2++an)+an+1a_{n+1}^2 = 2(a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_n)+a_{n+1}.
Similarly, an2=2(a1+a2++an1)+ana_n^2 = 2(a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_{n-1})+a_n (for n2n \geq 2),
subtracting the latter from the former gives an+12an2=an+1+ana_{n+1}^2-a_n^2 = a_{n+1}+a_n.
Therefore, an+1an=1a_{n+1}-a_n = 1.
Since a2a1=1a_2-a_1 = 1, it holds that for n1n \geq 1, an+1an=1a_{n+1}-a_n = 1,
thus, the sequence {an}\{a_n\} is an arithmetic sequence with the first term as 11 and common difference as 11,
hence, the general term formula for the sequence {an}\{a_n\} is an=na_n = n.
So, the conjecture for ana_n is an=n\boxed{a_n = n}.

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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.