Let a1,a2,a3,a4,a5 be real numbers whose sum is 20. Determine with proof the smallest possible value of ∑1≤i<j≤5⌊ai+aj⌋.
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
We claim that the minimum is 72. This can be achieved by taking a1=a2=a3=a4=0.4 and a5=18.4. To prove that this is optimal, note that ∑1≤i<j≤5⌊ai+aj⌋=∑1≤i<j≤5(ai+aj)−{ai+aj}=80−∑1≤i<j≤5{ai+aj} so it suffices to maximize ∑1≤i<j≤5{ai+aj}=∑i=15{ai+ai+2}+∑i=15{ai+ai+1} where a6=a1 and a7=a2. Taking each sum modulo 1, it is clear that both are integers. Thus, the above sum is at most 2⋅4=8, and our original expression is at least 80−8=72, completing the proof.
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