Assume that positive numbers a, b, c, x, y, z satisfy cy+bz=a; az+cx=b and bx+ay=c. Find the minimum value of the function f(x,y,z)=1+xx2+1+yy2+1+zz2.
Solution
By assumption, b(az+cx−b)+c(bx+ay−c)−a(cy+bz−a)=0, i.e. 2bcx+a2−b2−c2=0, we get x=2bcb2+c2−a2. For the similar reason, y=2aca2+c2−b2 and z=2aba2+b2−c2.
Since a, b, c, x, y, z are positive, by the above three expressions, we know b2+c2>a2, a2+c2>b2 and a2+b2>c2. Thus there is an acute triangle ABC with the lengths of its sides a, b, c. So x=cosA, y=cosB and z=cosC. The problem is now changed to finding the minimum value of the function f(cosA,cosB,cosC)=1+cosAcos2A+1+cosBcos2B+1+cosCcos2C Set u=cotA, v=cotB, w=cotC, then u,v,w∈R+, uv+vw+wu=1, u2+1=(u+v)(u+w), v2+1=(u+v)(v+w) and w2+1=(u+w)(v+w). We get1+cosAcos2A=1+u2+1uu2+1u2=u2+1(u2+1+u)u2=u2+1u2(u2+1−u)=u2−u2+1u3 =u2−(u+v)(u+w)u3≥u2−2u3(u+v1+u+w1). By a similar argument, 1+cosBcos2B≥v2−2v3(u+v1+v+w1) and 1+cosCcos2C≥w2−2w3(u+w1+v+w1). Hence f u 2 + v 2 + w 2 - 1 2 ( u 3 + v 3 u+v + w 3 + v 3 w+v + u 3 + w 3 u+w ) = u 2 + v 2 + w 2 - 1 2 [ (u 2 - uv + v 2) + (v 2 - vw + w 2) + (u 2 - uw 2 + w 2) ] = 1 2 (uv + vw + uw) = 1 2 , the equality sign is valid if and only if u=v=w, i.e. a=b=c, x=y=z=21, so [f(x,y,z)]min=21.
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