Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /635 of 860

Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Find the answer

Suppose a1,a2,,a100a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{100} are positive real numbers such that ak=kak1ak1(k1)a_{k}=\frac{k a_{k-1}}{a_{k-1}-(k-1)} for k=2,3,,100k=2,3, \ldots, 100. Given that a20=a23a_{20}=a_{23}, compute a100a_{100}.

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

Solution

If we cross multiply, we obtain anan1=nan1+(n1)ana_{n} a_{n-1}=n a_{n-1}+(n-1) a_{n}, which we can rearrange and factor as (ann)(an1(n1))=n(n1)\left(a_{n}-n\right)\left(a_{n-1}-(n-1)\right)=n(n-1). Let bn=annb_{n}=a_{n}-n. Then, bnbn1=n(n1)b_{n} b_{n-1}=n(n-1). If we let b1=tb_{1}=t, then we have by induction that bn=ntb_{n}=n t if nn is odd and bn=n/tb_{n}=n / t if nn is even. So we have an={nt+n if n odd n/t+n if n even a_{n}= \begin{cases}n t+n & \text { if } n \text { odd } \\ n / t+n & \text { if } n \text { even }\end{cases} for some real number tt. We have 20/t+20=23t+2320 / t+20=23 t+23, so t{1,20/23}t \in\{-1,20 / 23\}. But if t=1t=-1, then a1=0a_{1}=0 which is not positive, so t=20/23t=20 / 23 and a100=100/t+100=215a_{100}=100 / t+100=215.

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