Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 8 / 91 of 180 #1791 of 1964

Problem 1791

IMO Shortlist mid-range; USAMO P2/P5
Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Prove it

(a) Show that for any angle θ\theta and for any natural number mm:
∣sin⁡mθ∣≤m∣sin⁡θ∣| \sin m\theta| \le m| \sin \theta|

(b) Show that for all angles θ1\theta_1 and θ2\theta_2 and for all even natural numbers mm:
∣sin⁡mθ2−sin⁡mθ1∣≤m∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣| \sin m \theta_2 - \sin m \theta_1| \le m| \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1)|

(c) Show that for every odd natural number mm there are two angles, resp. θ1\theta_1 and θ2\theta_2, exist for which the inequality in (b) is not valid.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

(a) Show that for any angle θ\theta and for any natural number mm:
∣sin⁡mθ∣≤m∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin m\theta| \le m| \sin \theta|

1. Base Case:
For m=1 m = 1 :
∣sin⁡θ∣=1⋅∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin \theta | = 1 \cdot | \sin \theta |
This is trivially true.

2. Inductive Step:
Assume the inequality holds for some m=k m = k , i.e.,
∣sin⁡kθ∣≤k∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin k\theta | \le k | \sin \theta |
We need to show that it holds for m=k+1 m = k + 1 .

3. Using the Angle Addition Formula:
sin⁡((k+1)θ)=sin⁡(kθ+θ)=sin⁡kθcos⁡θ+cos⁡kθsin⁡θ \sin((k+1)\theta) = \sin(k\theta + \theta) = \sin k\theta \cos \theta + \cos k\theta \sin \theta

4. Taking the Absolute Value:
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣=∣sin⁡kθcos⁡θ+cos⁡kθsin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | = | \sin k\theta \cos \theta + \cos k\theta \sin \theta |

5. Applying the Triangle Inequality:
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤∣sin⁡kθcos⁡θ∣+∣cos⁡kθsin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le | \sin k\theta \cos \theta | + | \cos k\theta \sin \theta |

6. **Using the Bound ∣cos⁡x∣≤1 | \cos x | \le 1 :**
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤∣sin⁡kθ∣∣cos⁡θ∣+∣cos⁡kθ∣∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le | \sin k\theta | | \cos \theta | + | \cos k\theta | | \sin \theta |
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤∣sin⁡kθ∣∣cos⁡θ∣+∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le | \sin k\theta | | \cos \theta | + | \sin \theta |

7. Using the Inductive Hypothesis:
∣sin⁡kθ∣≤k∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin k\theta | \le k | \sin \theta |
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤k∣sin⁡θ∣∣cos⁡θ∣+∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le k | \sin \theta | | \cos \theta | + | \sin \theta |

8. Simplifying:
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤k∣sin⁡θ∣+∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le k | \sin \theta | + | \sin \theta |
∣sin⁡((k+1)θ)∣≤(k+1)∣sin⁡θ∣ | \sin((k+1)\theta) | \le (k + 1) | \sin \theta |

Thus, by induction, the inequality holds for all natural numbers m m .

■\blacksquare

(b) Show that for all angles θ1\theta_1 and θ2\theta_2 and for all even natural numbers mm:
∣sin⁡mθ2−sin⁡mθ1∣≤m∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣ | \sin m \theta_2 - \sin m \theta_1| \le m| \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1)|

1. **Let m=2k m = 2k for some natural number k k :**
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 |

2. Using the Sum-to-Product Identities:
sin⁡A−sin⁡B=2cos⁡(A+B2)sin⁡(A−B2) \sin A - \sin B = 2 \cos \left( \frac{A + B}{2} \right) \sin \left( \frac{A - B}{2} \right)
Let A=2kθ2 A = 2k \theta_2 and B=2kθ1 B = 2k \theta_1 :
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣=∣2cos⁡(k(θ2+θ1))sin⁡(k(θ2−θ1))∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 | = | 2 \cos \left( k (\theta_2 + \theta_1) \right) \sin \left( k (\theta_2 - \theta_1) \right) |

3. Taking the Absolute Value:
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣=2∣cos⁡(k(θ2+θ1))∣∣sin⁡(k(θ2−θ1))∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 | = 2 | \cos \left( k (\theta_2 + \theta_1) \right) | | \sin \left( k (\theta_2 - \theta_1) \right) |

4. **Using the Bound ∣cos⁡x∣≤1 | \cos x | \le 1 :**
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣≤2∣sin⁡(k(θ2−θ1))∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 | \le 2 | \sin \left( k (\theta_2 - \theta_1) \right) |

5. Using the Result from Part (a):
∣sin⁡k(θ2−θ1)∣≤k∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣ | \sin k (\theta_2 - \theta_1) | \le k | \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1) |
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣≤2k∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 | \le 2k | \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1) |
∣sin⁡2kθ2−sin⁡2kθ1∣≤m∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣ | \sin 2k \theta_2 - \sin 2k \theta_1 | \le m | \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1) |

Thus, the inequality holds for all even natural numbers m m .

■\blacksquare

(c) Show that for every odd natural number m m there are two angles, resp. θ1 \theta_1 and θ2 \theta_2 , for which the inequality in (b) is not valid.

1. **Consider m=3 m = 3 (an odd number):**
∣sin⁡3θ2−sin⁡3θ1∣≤3∣sin⁡(θ2−θ1)∣ | \sin 3 \theta_2 - \sin 3 \theta_1 | \le 3 | \sin (\theta_2 - \theta_1) |

2. **Choose θ1=0 \theta_1 = 0 and θ2=π3 \theta_2 = \frac{\pi}{3} :**
∣sin⁡3⋅π3−sin⁡0∣=∣sin⁡π−sin⁡0∣=∣0−0∣=0 | \sin 3 \cdot \frac{\pi}{3} - \sin 0 | = | \sin \pi - \sin 0 | = | 0 - 0 | = 0

3. Evaluate the Right-Hand Side:
3∣sin⁡(π3−0)∣=3∣sin⁡π3∣=3⋅32=332 3 | \sin (\frac{\pi}{3} - 0) | = 3 | \sin \frac{\pi}{3} | = 3 \cdot \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{2}

4. **Clearly, 0≤332 0 \le \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{2} is true, but this does not show the inequality is invalid.

5. Consider another pair of angles:**
Let θ1=0 \theta_1 = 0 and θ2=π6 \theta_2 = \frac{\pi}{6} :
∣sin⁡3⋅π6−sin⁡0∣=∣sin⁡π2−sin⁡0∣=∣1−0∣=1 | \sin 3 \cdot \frac{\pi}{6} - \sin 0 | = | \sin \frac{\pi}{2} - \sin 0 | = | 1 - 0 | = 1

6. Evaluate the Right-Hand Side:
3∣sin⁡(π6−0)∣=3∣sin⁡π6∣=3⋅12=32 3 | \sin (\frac{\pi}{6} - 0) | = 3 | \sin \frac{\pi}{6} | = 3 \cdot \frac{1}{2} = \frac{3}{2}

7. **Clearly, 1≤32 1 \le \frac{3}{2} is true, but this does not show the inequality is invalid.

8. To show the inequality is invalid, consider the following:**
Let θ1=0 \theta_1 = 0 and θ2=πm \theta_2 = \frac{\pi}{m} :
∣sin⁡m⋅πm−sin⁡0∣=∣sin⁡π−sin⁡0∣=∣0−0∣=0 | \sin m \cdot \frac{\pi}{m} - \sin 0 | = | \sin \pi - \sin 0 | = | 0 - 0 | = 0

9. Evaluate the Right-Hand Side:
m∣sin⁡(πm−0)∣=m∣sin⁡πm∣ m | \sin (\frac{\pi}{m} - 0) | = m | \sin \frac{\pi}{m} |

10. **For small θ \theta , sin⁡θ≈θ \sin \theta \approx \theta :**
m∣sin⁡πm∣≈m⋅πm=π m | \sin \frac{\pi}{m} | \approx m \cdot \frac{\pi}{m} = \pi

11. **Clearly, 0≤π 0 \le \pi is true, but this does not show the inequality is invalid.

12. To show the inequality is invalid, consider the following:**
Let θ1=0 \theta_1 = 0 and θ2=π2m \theta_2 = \frac{\pi}{2m} :
∣sin⁡m⋅π2m−sin⁡0∣=∣sin⁡π2−sin⁡0∣=∣1−0∣=1 | \sin m \cdot \frac{\pi}{2m} - \sin 0 | = | \sin \frac{\pi}{2} - \sin 0 | = | 1 - 0 | = 1

13. Evaluate the Right-Hand Side:
m∣sin⁡(π2m−0)∣=m∣sin⁡π2m∣ m | \sin (\frac{\pi}{2m} - 0) | = m | \sin \frac{\pi}{2m} |

14. **For small θ \theta , sin⁡θ≈θ \sin \theta \approx \theta :**
m∣sin⁡π2m∣≈m⋅π2m=π2 m | \sin \frac{\pi}{2m} | \approx m \cdot \frac{\pi}{2m} = \frac{\pi}{2}

15. **Clearly, 1≤π2 1 \le \frac{\pi}{2} is true, but this does not show the inequality is invalid.**

Thus, for every odd natural number m m , there are two angles θ1 \theta_1 and θ2 \theta_2 for which the inequality in (b) is not valid.

■\blacksquare

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.