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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Iran

Let aa, bb and cc be positive real numbers with cbac \ge b \ge a. Prove that
(ca)26ca+b+c331a+1b+1c \frac{(c-a)^2}{6c} \le \frac{a+b+c}{3} - \frac{3}{\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}}

Solution

First solution. Just to simplify the calculations, define S=a+cS = a + c and P=acP = ac. In this case, the RHS of the inequality becomes
RHS=a+b+c331a+1b+1c=S+b33PbSb+P. RHS = \frac{a+b+c}{3} - \frac{3}{\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}} = \frac{S+b}{3} - \frac{3Pb}{Sb+P}.
The goal is to minimize the above phrase as a function of bb; Note that the phrase, as a function of bb, has a linear term which is S+b3\frac{S+b}{3}, and a fractional term with the denominator Sb+PSb + P. Now we re-write the phrase using the new variable t=Sb+Pt = Sb + P and with a little calculation we shall have
RHS=S+b33PbSb+P=S210P3S+t3S+P2St. RHS = \frac{S+b}{3} - \frac{3Pb}{Sb+P} = \frac{S^2 - 10P}{3S} + \frac{t}{3S} + \frac{P^2}{St}.
Note that the multiply of the last two terms is a phrase without the variable tt. Therefore with using the AM-GM inequality we obtain
RHSS210P3S+2P2S2=S24P3S=(ca)23(c+a)(ca)26c. RHS \ge \frac{S^2 - 10P}{3S} + 2\sqrt{\frac{P^2}{S^2}} = \frac{S^2 - 4P}{3S} = \frac{(c-a)^2}{3(c+a)} \ge \frac{(c-a)^2}{6c}. \blacksquare

Second solution. For the easement of calculations, for any arbitrary formula F(a,b,c)F(a, b, c) with three variables aa, bb and cc, the cyclic sum
F(a,b,c)+F(b,c,a)+F(c,a,b), F(a, b, c) + F(b, c, a) + F(c, a, b),
is shown with F(a,b,c)\sum F(a, b, c). Using this notation, we expand the RHS of the inequality
a331a=a33abcab=(a)(ab)9abc3ab=(a2b+ab2)6abc3ab=a(bc)23ab. \begin{aligned} \frac{\sum a}{3} - \frac{3}{\sum \frac{1}{a}} &= \frac{\sum a}{3} - \frac{3abc}{\sum ab} = \frac{(\sum a)(\sum ab) - 9abc}{3 \sum ab} \\ &= \frac{\sum (a^2b + ab^2) - 6abc}{3 \sum ab} = \frac{\sum a(b-c)^2}{3 \sum ab}. \end{aligned}
Therefore, the claim of the problem is equivalent to the following inequality
a(bc)2(ab2c)(ca)2.(1) \sum a(b-c)^2 \ge \left( \frac{\sum ab}{2c} \right) (c-a)^2. \quad (1)
But note that with condition abca \le b \le c, ab2c\frac{ab}{2c} is not greater than b2\frac{b}{2} so for the RHS of the above inequality we have
(ab2c)(ca)2=(ab2c+a+b2)(ca)2(a2+b)(ca)2.(2) \left( \frac{\sum ab}{2c} \right) (c-a)^2 = \left( \frac{ab}{2c} + \frac{a+b}{2} \right) (c-a)^2 \le \left( \frac{a}{2} + b \right) (c-a)^2. \quad (2)
For the LHS of (1), we have
a(bc)2b(ca)2+a((cb)2+(ba)2).(3) \sum a(b-c)^2 \ge b(c-a)^2 + a((c-b)^2 + (b-a)^2). \quad (3)
Note that for any two numbers X,YX, Y,
(XY)20    X2+Y22XY0    2(X2+Y2)(X+Y)2    X2+Y2(X+Y)22. \begin{aligned} (X - Y)^2 \ge 0 &\implies X^2 + Y^2 - 2XY \ge 0 \\ &\implies 2(X^2 + Y^2) \ge (X + Y)^2 \\ &\implies X^2 + Y^2 \ge \frac{(X + Y)^2}{2}. \end{aligned}
Therefore, if X=cbX = c - b, Y=baY = b - a using (3), we obtain
a(bc)2b(ca)2+a((cb)2+(ba)2)b(ca)2+a2(ca)2. \sum a(b-c)^2 \ge b(c-a)^2 + a((c-b)^2 + (b-a)^2) \ge b(c-a)^2 + \frac{a}{2}(c-a)^2.
This inequality along with (2) implies (1) which is equivalent to the claim of the problem. ■

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