TITLE: If $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{a_n}$ converges, must $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n}{a_1 + \dots + a_n}$ converge?
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Suppose $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{1}{a_n} = A$ is summable, with $a_n > 0,$ $n = 1,2,3,\cdots.$ How can we prove that $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n}{a_1 + \dots + a_n}$ is also summable?
This question came from a problem-solving seminar, but I'm quite stuck without a push in the right direction. I tried a few things, including Cauchy-Schwarz (which says $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{n}{a_1 + \dots + a_n} < \sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{A}{n}$) and also the idea of assuming the latter series diverges and attempting to deduce the divergence of the former series from that, using facts such as $\sum a_n = \infty \implies \sum \frac{a_n}{a_1 + \cdots + a_n} = \infty$. Nothing has worked so far.

REPLY [3 votes]: Here I propose an other proof that yields the best constant.  Using Cauchy-Schwarz inequality we have:
$$\sum_{j=1}^k j=\sum_{j=1}^k\sqrt{j^2a_j}\cdot{1\over\sqrt{a_j}}\leq
\sqrt{\sum_{j=1}^k j^2a_j}\times\sqrt{\sum_{j=1}^k{1\over a_j}}$$
then
$${1\over\sum_{j=1}^k{1/ a_j}}\leq{4\over{k^2(k+1)^2}}
\left(\sum_{j=1}^kj^2a_j\right)$$
and this can be written in the following way
$${k\over\sum_{j=1}^k{1/ a_j}}\leq{4k\over{2k+1}}
\left({1\over k^2}-{1\over (k+1)^2}\right)\left(\sum_{j=1}^kj^2a_j\right)$$
which implies
$${k\over\sum_{j=1}^k{1/ a_j}}< 2
\left({1\over k^2}-{1\over (k+1)^2}\right)\left(\sum_{j=1}^kj^2a_j\right)$$
and can be writen in the following way
$${k\over\sum_{j=1}^k{1/ a_j}}< 2a_k+A_k-A_{k+1}$$
with $A_k={2\over k^2}\sum_{j=1}^{k-1}j^2a_j$ and $ A_1=0$. Summing these inequalities for $1\leq k\leq n$ we find
$$\sum_{k=1}^n{k\over\sum_{j=1}^k{1/ a_j}}< 2\left(\sum_{k=1}^n a_k\right)-A_{n+1},
$$
and this proves the desired inequality since $A_{n+1}\geq0$.
On the other hand, if $c$ is the least constant such that if $n\geq 1$ and $a_1,\ldots,a_n>0$  we have
$$\sum_{k=1}^n{k\over\sum_{j=1}^k1/a_j}\leq c \sum_{k=1}^na_k$$
then, by choosing $a_n={1\over n}$ we find
$$\sum_{k=1}^n{2\over k+1}\leq c \sum_{k=1}^n{1\over k}$$
that is $2\leq c+1/\sum_{k=1}^n{1\over k}$, and this proves that $2\leq c$ since $\lim_{n\to\infty}\sum_{k=1}^n{1\over k}=+\infty$.