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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it New Zealand

Problem:
Let a,b,ca, b, c be positive real numbers satisfying abc=1a b c = 1. Determine the smallest possible value of
a2+2025a3(b+c)+b2+2025b3(c+a)+c2+2025c3(a+b) \frac{a^{2} + 2025}{a^{3}(b + c)} + \frac{b^{2} + 2025}{b^{3}(c + a)} + \frac{c^{2} + 2025}{c^{3}(a + b)}

Solution

Solution:
Note,
1a3(b+c)+1b3(a+c)+1c3(a+b)=(1a)2a(b+c)+(1b)2b(a+c)+(1c)2c(a+b)(1a+1b+1c)22(ab+ac+bc)=(1a+1b+1c)22(1c+1b+1a)=(1a+1b+1c)232abc3=32(AM-GM) \begin{array}{r l r} \frac{1}{a^{3}(b+c)}+\frac{1}{b^{3}(a+c)}+\frac{1}{c^{3}(a+b)} = \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a}\right)^{2}}{a(b+c)} + \frac{\left(\frac{1}{b}\right)^{2}}{b(a+c)} + \frac{\left(\frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{c(a+b)} \\ & & \geq \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{2(ab + ac + bc)} \\ & & = \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{2\left(\frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{a}\right)} \\ & & = \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}\right)}{2} \\ & & \geq \frac{3}{2\sqrt[3]{a b c}} \\ & & = \frac{3}{2} \end{array} \quad \text{(AM-GM)}
Now, (a+b+c)23(ab+ac+bc)(a + b + c)^{2} \geq 3(ab + ac + bc) for positive reals a,b,ca, b, c. ()(\dagger)
So we also get,
1a2(b+c)+1b2(a+c)+1c2(a+b)(1a)2(b+c)+(1b)2(a+c)+(1c)2(a+b)(1a+1b+1c)22(a+b+c)=(1a+1b+1c)22(1b1c+1a1c+1a1b)=32() \begin{array}{r l r} \frac{1}{a^{2}(b+c)} + \frac{1}{b^{2}(a+c)} + \frac{1}{c^{2}(a+b)} \geq \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a}\right)^{2}}{(b+c)} + \frac{\left(\frac{1}{b}\right)^{2}}{(a+c)} + \frac{\left(\frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{(a+b)} \\ & & \geq \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{2(a + b + c)} \\ & & = \frac{\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}\right)^{2}}{2\left(\frac{1}{b} \cdot \frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{a} \cdot \frac{1}{b}\right)} \\ & & = \frac{3}{2} \end{array} \quad (\dagger)
Finally, as a2+12aa^{2} + 1 \geq 2a, we get
a2+2025a3(b+c)+b2+2025b3(a+c)+c2+2025c3(a+b)2a+2024a3(b+c)+2b+2024b3(a+c)+2c+2024c3(a+b) \frac{a^{2} + 2025}{a^{3}(b + c)} + \frac{b^{2} + 2025}{b^{3}(a + c)} + \frac{c^{2} + 2025}{c^{3}(a + b)} \geq \frac{2a + 2024}{a^{3}(b + c)} + \frac{2b + 2024}{b^{3}(a + c)} + \frac{2c + 2024}{c^{3}(a + b)}
232+202432 \qquad \geq 2 \cdot \frac{3}{2} + 2024 \cdot \frac{3}{2}
=3039 \qquad = 3039
Equality can be achieved when a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.