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Algebra Difficulty 7.3 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Let {zn}n1\{ z_n \}_{n \ge 1} be a sequence of complex numbers, whose odd terms are real, even terms are purely imaginary, and for every positive integer kk, zkzk+1=2k|z_k z_{k+1}|=2^k. Denote fn=z1+z2++zn,f_n=|z_1+z_2+\cdots+z_n|, for n=1,2,n=1,2,\cdots
(1) Find the minimum of f2020f_{2020}.
(2) Find the minimum of f2020f2021f_{2020} \cdot f_{2021}.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Let {zn}n1\{ z_n \}_{n \ge 1} be a sequence of complex numbers, whose odd terms are real, even terms are purely imaginary, and for every positive integer kk, zkzk+1=2k|z_k z_{k+1}|=2^k. Denote fn=z1+z2++zn,f_n=|z_1+z_2+\cdots+z_n|, for n=1,2,n=1,2,\cdots.

1. To find the minimum of f2020f_{2020}:

Write ak=zka_k=z_k for kk odd and ak=izka_k=iz_k for kk even so that akRa_k \in \mathbb{R} all the time. The condition now says that a1a2=2\vert a_1a_2\vert=2 and a2k+1=2ka1\vert a_{2k+1}\vert=2^k\vert a_1\vert as well as a2k=2k1a2\vert a_{2k}\vert=2^{k-1}\vert a_2\vert. We now find that
fn2=(a1+a3+)2+(a2+a4+)2=a12(1±2±4±8)2+a22(1±2±4±)2. f_n^2=(a_1+a_3+\dots)^2+(a_2+a_4+\dots)^2=a_1^2 \cdot (1 \pm 2 \pm 4 \pm 8 \dots)^2+a_2^2 \cdot (1 \pm 2 \pm 4 \pm \dots)^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 22 equal to 11, but not smaller (in absolute value). Hence
fn2a12+a222a1a2=4 f_n^2 \ge a_1^2+a_2^2 \ge 2\vert a_1a_2\vert=4
by AM-GM and hence fn2f_n \ge 2 for all n2n \ge 2 with equality achievable for each nn. So the desired minimum is equal to 22.

The answer is: 2\boxed{2}.

2. To find the minimum of f2020f2021f_{2020} \cdot f_{2021}:

In f2nf2n+1f_{2n} \cdot f_{2n+1}, both terms have the same part for a2,a4,,a2na_2,a_4,\dots,a_{2n}. So again here we can choose the signs to minimize both terms which will be achieved at 11.

For the odd indices, we need to be a bit careful and hence write the number achieved from the signs from a1,a3,,a2n1a_1,a_3,\dots,a_{2n-1} as x=1±2±4±±2n1x=1 \pm 2 \pm 4 \pm \dots \pm 2^{n-1}. So f2n2a12+x2a22f_{2n}^2 \ge a_1^2+x^2a_2^2 and f2n+12a12+(2nx)2a22f_{2n+1}^2 \ge a_1^2+(2^n-x)^2a_2^2.

We see that this becomes certainly minimal only when x>0x>0 so that 0<x<2n0<x<2^n. We then find that
f2n2f2n+124(x2+(2nx)2)+a14+a14+(x(2nx))2a244(x2+(2nx)2)+8x(2nx)=22n+2 f_{2n}^2f_{2n+1}^2 \ge 4(x^2+(2^n-x)^2)+a_1^4+a_1^4+(x(2^n-x))^2a_2^4 \ge 4(x^2+(2^n-x)^2)+8x(2^n-x)=2^{2n+2}
by AM-GM and the equality can be achieved by choosing a1,a2a_1,a_2 appropriately.

So the minimum value of f2nf2n+1f_{2n}f_{2n+1} is 2n+12^{n+1}.

The answer is: 21011\boxed{2^{1011}}.

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