Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 156 of 400 #1156 of 2000

Problem 1156

National olympiad, first round
Algebra Difficulty 6.2 Prove it

Example 15 Given a positive integer n2n \geqslant 2, let positive integers ai(i=1,2,,n)a_{i}(i=1,2, \cdots, n) satisfy a1<a2<<ana_{1}<a_{2}<\cdots<a_{n} and i=1n1ai1\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}} \leqslant 1. Prove: For any real number xx, we have
(i=1n1ai2+x2)2121a1(a11)+x2. \left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}}\right)^{2} \leqslant \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{a_{1}\left(a_{1}-1\right)+x^{2}} .

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

When x2a1(a11)x^{2} \geqslant a_{1}\left(a_{1}-1\right), from i=1n1ai1\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}} \leqslant 1, we can get
(i=1n1ai2+x2)2(i=1n12aix)2=14x2(i=1n1ai)214x2121a1(a11)+x2. \begin{aligned} \left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}}\right)^{2} & \leqslant\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{2 a_{i}|x|}\right)^{2}=\frac{1}{4 x^{2}}\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}}\right)^{2} \\ & \leqslant \frac{1}{4 x^{2}} \leqslant \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{a_{1}\left(a_{1}-1\right)+x^{2}} . \end{aligned}

When x2<a1(a11)x^{2}<a_{1}\left(a_{1}-1\right), by the Cauchy inequality, we have
(i=1n1ai2+x2)2(i=1n1ai)(i=1nai(ai2+x2)2)i=1nai(ai2+x2)2. \begin{aligned} \left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}}\right)^{2} & \leqslant\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{a_{i}}\right)\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{a_{i}}{\left(a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}\right)^{2}}\right) \\ & \leqslant \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{a_{i}}{\left(a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}\right)^{2}} . \end{aligned}

For positive integers a1<a2<<ana_{1}<a_{2}<\cdots<a_{n}, we have ai+1ai+1,i=1,2,,n1a_{i+1} \geqslant a_{i}+1, i=1,2, \cdots, n-1, and
2ai(ai2+x2)22ai(ai2+x2+14)2ai2=2ai((ai12)2+x2)((ai+12)2+x2)=1(ai12)2+x21(ai+12)2+x21(ai12)2+x21(ai+112)2+x2, \begin{array}{l} \frac{2 a_{i}}{\left(a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}\right)^{2}} \leqslant \frac{2 a_{i}}{\left(a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}+\frac{1}{4}\right)^{2}-a_{i}^{2}} \\ =\frac{2 a_{i}}{\left(\left(a_{i}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}\right)\left(\left(a_{i}+\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}\right)} \\ =\frac{1}{\left(a_{i}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}}-\frac{1}{\left(a_{i}+\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}} \\ \leqslant \frac{1}{\left(a_{i}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}}-\frac{1}{\left(a_{i+1}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}}, \\ \end{array}
i=1,2,,n1 i=1,2, \cdots, n-1 \text {, }

Therefore, i=1nai(ai2+x2)212i=1n(1(ai12)2+x21(ai+112)2+x2)\sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{a_{i}}{\left(a_{i}^{2}+x^{2}\right)^{2}} \leqslant \frac{1}{2} \sum_{i=1}^{n}\left(\frac{1}{\left(a_{i}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}}-\frac{1}{\left(a_{i+1}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}}\right)
121(a112)2+x2121a1(a11)+x2. \leqslant \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{\left(a_{1}-\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}+x^{2}} \leqslant \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{a_{1}\left(a_{1}-1\right)+x^{2}} .

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.