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Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Iran

Let xx, yy and zz be real numbers, such that x+y+z=xy+yz+zxx + y + z = xy + yz + zx. Prove that
xx4+x2+1+yy4+y2+1+zz4+z2+113 \frac{x}{\sqrt{x^4 + x^2 + 1}} + \frac{y}{\sqrt{y^4 + y^2 + 1}} + \frac{z}{\sqrt{z^4 + z^2 + 1}} \geq \frac{-1}{\sqrt{3}}

Solution

Let's define f(t)=tt4+t2+1f(t) = \frac{t}{\sqrt{t^4 + t^2 + 1}}, that is, f(t)=f(t)f(t) = -f(-t), f(1t)=f(t)f(\frac{1}{t}) = f(t), furthermore, f(t)13|f(t)| \le \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}. Then, if we change (x,y,z)(x, y, z) with (1x,1y,1z)(\frac{1}{x}, \frac{1}{y}, \frac{1}{z}), nothing has been changed. Moreover, one can find that, z=x+yxyx+y1z = \frac{x + y - xy}{x + y - 1}, so if x,y>0x, y > 0 and z<0z < 0 then
xx4+x2+1+yy4+y2+1+zz4+z2+113 \frac{x}{\sqrt{x^4 + x^2 + 1}} + \frac{y}{\sqrt{y^4 + y^2 + 1}} + \frac{z}{\sqrt{z^4 + z^2 + 1}} \ge \frac{-1}{\sqrt{3}}
Moreover, if x,y,z>0x, y, z > 0, we are done. Assume now, xy0zx \le y \le 0 \le z, Without loss of generality, we can assume xy1xy \ge 1, otherwise, replace (x,y,z)(x, y, z) with (1x,1y,1z)(\frac{1}{x}, \frac{1}{y}, \frac{1}{z}). If z=0z = 0, then 0>x+y=xy>00 > x + y = xy > 0, a contradiction, hence z>0z > 0. Now, we can write
z=x+yxyx+y1=x+y+xyx+y+11 z = \frac{x + y - xy}{x + y - 1} = \frac{|x| + |y| + xy}{|x| + |y| + 1} \ge 1
Hence,
zx=z+x=x2+yx+y1=yx2x+y+1 z - |x| = z + x = \frac{x^2 + y}{x + y - 1} = \frac{|y| - x^2}{|x + y| + 1}
Then, 1xyx21 \le xy \le x^2 implies that x1|x| \ge 1. Moreover, xy0x \le y \le 0 ensures that yxx2|y| \le |x| \le x^2, hence, zx0z - |x| \le 0. Thus, 1zx1 \le z \le |x|. Finally, it is clear that
f(t)=1t2+t2+1 f(t) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{t^2 + t^{-2} + 1}}
The function, t2+t2t^2 + t^{-2} is increasing for t1|t| \ge 1, hence f(t)f(t) is decreasing on t1|t| \ge 1, therefore f(x)f(z)f(|x|) \le f(z). That is
f(x)=f(x)=f(x)f(z) -f(x) = f(-x) = f(|x|) \le f(z)
Hence f(x)+f(z)0f(x) + f(z) \ge 0 and f(y)13f(y) \ge -\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}, thus
f(x)+f(y)+f(z)13. f(x) + f(y) + f(z) \ge \frac{-1}{\sqrt{3}}.

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