Let a,b be real numbers and function f(x)=x3+ax2+bx. If there exist three real numbers x1,x2,x3 satisfying x1+1≤x2≤x3−1 and f(x1)=f(x2)=f(x3). Find the minimum of ∣a∣+2∣b∣.
Solution
For function f(x) and real numbers x1,x2,x3 satisfying the conditions, let f(x1)=f(x2)=f(x3)=c, and then x1,x2,x3 are the three real roots of cubic equation x3+ax2+bx−c=0. By Vieta's formulas, we know that a=−(x1+x2+x3),b=x1x2+x2x3+x3x1. Further, by the condition we know that x2−x1≥1, x3−x2≥1, x3−x1≥2, and thus a2−3b=x12+x22+x32−x1x2−x2x3−x3x1=21((x1−x2)2+(x2−x3)2+(x3−x1)2)≥21(1+1+4)=3, i.e., b≤3a2−1. If ∣a∣≥3, then ∣a∣+2∣b∣≥∣a∣+3. If 0≤∣a∣<3, then b≤3a2−1<0. Notice that at this point ∣a∣−43∣a∣+2∣b∣<3−43,≥∣a∣+32(3−a2)−32(∣a∣−43)2+819−32(3−43)2+819=3. The above shows that ∣a∣+2∣b∣≥3. On the other hand, when a=3, b=0, real numbers x1=−1−33, x2=−33, x3=1−33 satisfy the condition because the values of F1, F2, F3 are all 923. At this point ∣a∣+2∣b∣=3. In conclusion, the minimum of ∣a∣+2∣b∣ is 3.
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