MathDB
Interesting 'fragment' inequality

Source: Baltic Way 2000

December 17, 2010
inequalitiesalgebra proposedalgebra

Problem Statement

Let x1,x2,xnx_1,x_2,\ldots x_n be positive integers such that no one of them is an initial fragment of any other (for example, 1212 is an initial fragment of 12,125\underline{12},\underline{12}5 and 12405\underline{12}405). Prove that 1x1+1x2++1xn<3.\frac{1}{x_1}+\frac{1}{x_2}+\ldots+\frac{1}{x_n}<3.