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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Prove that abc<12b|a - b\sqrt{c}| < \frac{1}{2b} if and only if a2b2c<c|a^2 - b^2c| < \sqrt{c}.

Solution

The first relation also writes as 12b<abc<12b-\frac{1}{2b} < a - b\sqrt{c} < \frac{1}{2b}, i.e. 2ab12b2<c<2ab+12b2\frac{2ab - 1}{2b^2} < \sqrt{c} < \frac{2ab + 1}{2b^2}.

The second relation also writes as c<a2b2c<c-\sqrt{c} < a^2 - b^2c < \sqrt{c}, or b2c+ca2>0b^2c + \sqrt{c} - a^2 > 0 and b2cca2<0b^2c - \sqrt{c} - a^2 < 0, i.e. 1+4a2b212b2<c<1+4a2b2+12b2\frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} - 1}{2b^2} < \sqrt{c} < \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 1}{2b^2}.

Computing the difference between the bounds yields 0<δ=1+4a2b2±12b22ab±12b2=1+4a2b22ab2b2=12b2(1+4a2b2+2ab)<12b24ab=Δ0 < \delta = \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} \pm 1}{2b^2} - \frac{2ab \pm 1}{2b^2} = \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} - 2ab}{2b^2} = \frac{1}{2b^2(\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 2ab)} < \frac{1}{2b^2 \cdot 4ab} = \Delta.

Clearly c>1+4a2b212b2\sqrt{c} > \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} - 1}{2b^2} implies c>2ab12b2\sqrt{c} > \frac{2ab - 1}{2b^2}. When c>2ab12b2\sqrt{c} > \frac{2ab - 1}{2b^2} it follows that 4b4c>(2ab1)24b^4c > (2ab - 1)^2, so 4b4c(2ab1)2+14b^4c \ge (2ab - 1)^2 + 1. On the other hand
(1+4a2b212b2)2<(2ab12b2+Δ)2=(2ab1)2+2(2ab1)4ab+116a2b24b4=(2ab1)2+112ab+116a2b24b4<(2ab1)2+14b4c, hence the requiredc>1+4a2b212b2. \begin{aligned} \left( \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} - 1}{2b^2} \right)^2 < \left( \frac{2ab - 1}{2b^2} + \Delta \right)^2 &= \frac{(2ab - 1)^2 + \frac{2(2ab - 1)}{4ab} + \frac{1}{16a^2b^2}}{4b^4} \\ &= \frac{(2ab - 1)^2 + 1 - \frac{1}{2ab} + \frac{1}{16a^2b^2}}{4b^4} < \frac{(2ab - 1)^2 + 1}{4b^4} \le c, \text{ hence the required} \\ &\quad \sqrt{c} > \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} - 1}{2b^2}. \end{aligned}

Clearly c<2ab+12b2\sqrt{c} < \frac{2ab + 1}{2b^2} implies that c<1+4a2b2+12b2\sqrt{c} < \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 1}{2b^2}. When c<1+4a2b2+12b2\sqrt{c} < \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 1}{2b^2}, assume c2ab+12b2\sqrt{c} \ge \frac{2ab + 1}{2b^2}, hence 4b4c(2ab+1)24b^4c \ge (2ab + 1)^2, therefore 4b4c(2ab+1)2+34b^4c \ge (2ab + 1)^2 + 3 (because of the divisibility by 4).

On the other hand

(1+4a2b2+12b2)2<(2ab+12b2+Δ)2=(2ab+1)2+2(2ab+1)/4ab+1/16a2b24b4=(2ab+1)2+1+1/2ab+1/16a2b24b4<(2ab+1)2+34b4c, hence c>1+4a2b2+12b2, contradiction. It means our assumption was wrong, so c<2ab+12b2.\begin{aligned} \left( \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 1}{2b^2} \right)^2 < \left( \frac{2ab + 1}{2b^2} + \Delta \right)^2 &= \\ \frac{(2ab + 1)^2 + 2(2ab + 1)/4ab + 1/16a^2b^2}{4b^4} &= \frac{(2ab + 1)^2 + 1 + 1/2ab + 1/16a^2b^2}{4b^4} \\ < \frac{(2ab + 1)^2 + 3}{4b^4} \le c, \text{ hence } \sqrt{c} > \frac{\sqrt{1 + 4a^2b^2} + 1}{2b^2}, \text{ contradiction. It means our assumption was wrong, so } \sqrt{c} < \frac{2ab + 1}{2b^2}. \end{aligned}

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