Skip to main content
2 of 5
removed offer and signature ref.:http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/267263/what-happens-if-a-user-offers-money-for-an-answer (thx to unihedron)

The sum of squared logarithms conjecture

I'm searching for the first proof (or counterexample to) the following conjecture.

(The sum of squared logarithms conjecture) For all natural numbers $n$ and positive numbers $x_1,x_2, \ldots , x_n, y_1,y_2,\ldots, y_n>0$ such that for all $k\in\{1,\ldots, n-1\}$ it holds

$\sum_{i_1<\ldots<i_k} x_{i_1}\, x_{i_2}\ldots x_{i_k}\le \sum_{i_1<\ldots<i_k} y_{i_1}\, y_{i_2}\ldots y_{i_k}$

and $x_1\, x_2\, x_3 \ldots x_n=y_1\, y_2 \,y_3\ldots y_n$

it follows

$\sum_{i=1}^n (\log x_i)^2\le \sum_{i=1}^n (\log y_i)^2$

Replacing the assumption $x_1\, x_2\, x_3 \ldots x_n=y_1\, y_2\, y_3\ldots y_n$ by $x_1\, x_2\, x_3 \ldots x_n\le y_1\, y_2\, y_3\ldots y_n$ easily admits counterexamples.

Proofs are known for $n\in \{1,2,3,4\}$. More information can be found at

https://www.uni-due.de/mathematik/ag_neff/log_conjecture