Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2012

Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Find all positive real numbers xx, yy, zz if
1x2+1+1y2+4+1z2+9=7121x2+1y2+1z2. \frac{1}{x^2+1} + \frac{1}{y^2+4} + \frac{1}{z^2+9} = \frac{7}{12} \sqrt{\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} + \frac{1}{z^2}}.

Solution

We have x2+12xx^2+1 \ge 2x, y2+44yy^2+4 \ge 4y, z2+96zz^2+9 \ge 6z, hence
1x2+1+1y2+4+1z2+912x+14y+16z.(1) \frac{1}{x^2+1} + \frac{1}{y^2+4} + \frac{1}{z^2+9} \le \frac{1}{2x} + \frac{1}{4y} + \frac{1}{6z}. \quad (1)
Using Cauchy-Schwarz inequality it follows
(12x+14y+16z)2(122+142+162)(1x2+1y2+1z2)=144936(1x2+1y2+1z2), \left(\frac{1}{2x} + \frac{1}{4y} + \frac{1}{6z}\right)^2 \le \left(\frac{1}{2^2} + \frac{1}{4^2} + \frac{1}{6^2}\right) \left(\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} + \frac{1}{z^2}\right) = \frac{1}{4} \cdot \frac{49}{36} \left(\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} + \frac{1}{z^2}\right),
hence
12x+14y+16z7121x2+1y2+1z2.(2) \frac{1}{2x} + \frac{1}{4y} + \frac{1}{6z} \le \frac{7}{12} \sqrt{\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} + \frac{1}{z^2}}. \quad (2)
From (1) and (2) we get
1x2+1+1y2+4+1z2+97121x2+1y2+1z2. \frac{1}{x^2+1} + \frac{1}{y^2+4} + \frac{1}{z^2+9} \le \frac{7}{12} \sqrt{\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} + \frac{1}{z^2}}.
with equality if and only if x=1x = 1, y=2y = 2, z=3z = 3.

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