IMO 2023 · Problem 4

Let \(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_{2023}\) be pairwise different positive real numbers such that \[ a_n=\sqrt{(x_1+x_2+\cdots+x_n)\left(\frac1{x_1}+\frac1{x_2}+\cdots+\frac1{x_n}\right)} \] is an integer for every \(n=1,2,\ldots,2023\). Prove that \(a_{2023}\ge3034\).

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Solution

For any positive real numbers \(A,B,C,D\), we have \[ \sqrt{(A+C)(B+D)}\ge \sqrt{AB}+\sqrt{CD}. \] Indeed, both sides are positive, and the difference of their squares is \[ AD+BC-2\sqrt{ABCD}=(\sqrt{AD}-\sqrt{BC})^2\ge0. \]

Write \[ S_n=\sum_{i=1}^n x_i,\qquad T_n=\sum_{i=1}^n\frac1{x_i}, \] so that \(a_n=\sqrt{S_nT_n}\). For \(1\le n\le2021\), set \(u=x_{n+1}\) and \(v=x_{n+2}\). The inequality above gives \[ \begin{aligned} a_{n+2} &=\sqrt{(S_n+u+v)\left(T_n+\frac1u+\frac1v\right)}\\ &\ge a_n+\sqrt{(u+v)\left(\frac1u+\frac1v\right)}. \end{aligned} \] Since \(u\ne v\) and \(u,v>0\), \[ (u+v)\left(\frac1u+\frac1v\right) =4+\frac{(u-v)^2}{uv}>4. \] Consequently, \[ a_{n+2}>a_n+2. \] Both \(a_{n+2}\) and \(a_n\) are integers, so \[ a_{n+2}\ge a_n+3. \]

Applying this successively for \(n=1,3,\ldots,2021\), and using \(a_1=1\), yields \[ \boxed{a_{2023}\ge a_1+1011\cdot3=3034}. \]

The solution was checked against the official IMO shortlist solutions.