Find all the positive real number pairs (a,b), such that f(x)=ax2+b satisfies f(xy)+f(x+y)≥f(x)f(y) (for any real numbers x,y).
Solution
The given condition is equivalent to (ax2y2+b)+(a(x+y)2+b)≥(ax2+b)(ay2+b).① In ①, let y=0. We have b+(ax2+b)≥(ax2+b)⋅b, or (1−b)ax2+b(2−b)≥0. As a>0 and ax2 can be sufficiently large, then 1−b≥0, i.e., 0<b≤1. In ①, let y=−x. We have (ax4+b)+b≥(ax2+b)2, or (a−a2)x4−2abx2+(2b−b2)≥0.② Denote the left-hand side of ② as g(x). It is obvious that a−a2=0 (otherwise, from a>0 we know a=1. Then g(x)=−2bx2+(2b−b2) with b>0, which means g(x) can be negative. A contradiction). Then g(x)=(a−a2)(x2−a−a2ab)2−a−a2(ab)2+(2b−b2)=(a−a2)(x2−1−ab)2+1−ab(2−2a−b)≥0 holds for any real number x. So we have a−a2>0, i.e., 0<a<1. Furthermore, from 1−ab>0 and g(1−ab)=1−ab(2−2a−b)≥0, we have 2a+b≤2. So far, we get the necessary condition that a,b must satisfy as follows: 0<b≤1,0<a<1,2a+b≤2.3◯ We are going to prove that for any pair (a,b) satisfying ③ and any real numbers x,y, ① holds, or equivalently, h(x,y)=(a−a2)x2y2+a(1−b)(x2+y2)+2axy+(2b−b2)≥0. As a matter of fact, when ③ holds, we then have a(1−b)≥0,a−a2>0and1−ab(2−2a−b)≥0. Combining it with x2+y2≥−2xy, we get h(x,y)≥(a−a2)x2y2+a(1−b)(−2xy)+2axy+(2b−b2)=(a−a2)x2y2+2abxy+(2b−b2)=(a−a2)(xy+1−ab)2+1−ab(2−2a−b)≥0. Therefore, the set of all the pairs (a,b) meeting the given condition is {(a,b)∣0<b≤1,0<a<1,2a+b≤2}.
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