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IMC 2008 Day 1 P4 - Better Triples

Source: Problem 4

July 30, 2008
inequalitieslinear algebramatrixgroup theoryabstract algebraanalytic geometrygeometry

Problem Statement

We say a triple of real numbers (a1,a2,a3) (a_1,a_2,a_3) is better than another triple (b1,b2,b3) (b_1,b_2,b_3) when exactly two out of the three following inequalities hold: a1>b1 a_1 > b_1, a2>b2 a_2 > b_2, a3>b3 a_3 > b_3. We call a triple of real numbers special when they are nonnegative and their sum is 1 1. For which natural numbers n n does there exist a collection S S of special triples, with |S| \equal{} n, such that any special triple is bettered by at least one element of S S?