Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Find the answer

Find the set consisting of all real values of xx such that the three numbers 2x,2x2,2x32^{x}, 2^{x^{2}}, 2^{x^{3}} form a non-constant arithmetic progression (in that order).

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

Solution

The empty set, \varnothing. Trivially, x=0,1x=0,1 yield constant arithmetic progressions; we show that there are no other possibilities. If these numbers do form a progression, then, by the AM-GM (arithmetic mean-geometric mean) inequality, 22x2=2x+2x322x2x32x22(x+x3)/2x2(x+x3)/2x(x1)2=x32x2+x02 \cdot 2^{x^{2}}=2^{x}+2^{x^{3}} \geq 2 \sqrt{2^{x} \cdot 2^{x^{3}}} \Rightarrow 2^{x^{2}} \geq 2^{\left(x+x^{3}\right) / 2} \Rightarrow x^{2} \geq\left(x+x^{3}\right) / 2 \Rightarrow x(x-1)^{2}=x^{3}-2 x^{2}+x \leq 0 Assuming x0,1x \neq 0,1, we can divide by (x1)2>0(x-1)^{2}>0 and obtain x<0x<0. However, then 2x,2x32^{x}, 2^{x^{3}} are less than 1, while 2x22^{x^{2}} is more than 1, so the given sequence cannot possibly be an arithmetic progression.

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