Problem

Source: Olimphíada 2022- Problem 3/Level 3

Tags: algebra, Process



On a board are written some positive reals (not necessarily distinct). For every two numbers in the frame $a$ and $b$ distinct such that $$\frac{1}{2}<\frac{a}{b}<2,$$an allowed operation is to delete $a$ and $b$ and write $2a-b$ and $2b-a$ in their place. Show that we can do the operation only a finite number of times.