Let {zn}n≥1 be a sequence of complex numbers, whose odd terms are real, even terms are purely imaginary, and for every positive integer k, ∣zkzk+1∣=2k. Denote fn=∣z1+z2+⋯+zn∣, for n=1,2,⋯.
1. To find the minimum of f2020:
Write ak=zk for k odd and ak=izk for k even so that ak∈R all the time. The condition now says that ∣a1a2∣=2 and ∣a2k+1∣=2k∣a1∣ as well as ∣a2k∣=2k−1∣a2∣. We now find that
fn2=(a1+a3+…)2+(a2+a4+…)2=a12⋅(1±2±4±8…)2+a22⋅(1±2±4±…)2.
We can choose the signs arbitrarily on both sides and hence it's easy to see that we can make both alternating sums of powers of 2 equal to 1, but not smaller (in absolute value). Hence
fn2≥a12+a22≥2∣a1a2∣=4
by AM-GM and hence fn≥2 for all n≥2 with equality achievable for each n. So the desired minimum is equal to 2.
The answer is: 2.
2. To find the minimum of f2020⋅f2021:
In f2n⋅f2n+1, both terms have the same part for a2,a4,…,a2n. So again here we can choose the signs to minimize both terms which will be achieved at 1.
For the odd indices, we need to be a bit careful and hence write the number achieved from the signs from a1,a3,…,a2n−1 as x=1±2±4±⋯±2n−1. So f2n2≥a12+x2a22 and f2n+12≥a12+(2n−x)2a22.
We see that this becomes certainly minimal only when x>0 so that 0<x<2n. We then find that
f2n2f2n+12≥4(x2+(2n−x)2)+a14+a14+(x(2n−x))2a24≥4(x2+(2n−x)2)+8x(2n−x)=22n+2
by AM-GM and the equality can be achieved by choosing a1,a2 appropriately.
So the minimum value of f2nf2n+1 is 2n+1.
The answer is: 21011.