Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /21 of 27

Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Singapore

Let nn be a positive integer and a1,a2,…,a2na_1, a_2, \dots, a_{2n} be 2n2n distinct integers. Given that the equation
∣x−a1∣∣x−a2∣…∣x−a2n∣=(n!)2 |x - a_1| |x - a_2| \dots |x - a_{2n}| = (n!)^2
has an integer solution x=mx = m, find mm in terms of a1,…,a2na_1, \dots, a_{2n}.

Solution

We have
∣m−a1∣∣m−a2∣⋯∣m−a2n∣=(n!)2. |m - a_1| |m - a_2| \cdots |m - a_{2n}| = (n!)^2.
First we show that we cannot have distinct ii, jj, kk so that ∣m−ai∣=∣m−aj∣=∣m−ak∣|m - a_i| = |m - a_j| = |m - a_k|. If so, then two of (m−ai)(m - a_i), (m−aj)(m - a_j), (m−ak)(m - a_k) must be of the same sign, say (m−ai)(m - a_i), (m−aj)(m - a_j). Then ai=aja_i = a_j, a contradiction. Thus the values of ∣m−a1∣|m - a_1|, ∣m−a2∣|m - a_2|, ..., ∣m−a2n∣|m - a_{2n}| are 11, 11, 22, 22, ..., nn, nn. Also if ∣m−ai∣=∣m−aj∣|m - a_i| = |m - a_j|, then we must have m−ai=−(m−aj)m - a_i = -(m - a_j) otherwise ai=aja_i = a_j. Therefore ∑(m−ai)=0\sum (m - a_i) = 0 and m=a1+⋯+a2n2nm = \frac{a_1 + \cdots + a_{2n}}{2n}.

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: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.