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Algebra Difficulty 7.0 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Estonia

Let a,b,ca, b, c be positive real numbers such that 2a2+b2=9c22a^2 + b^2 = 9c^2. Prove that
2ca+cb3. \frac{2c}{a} + \frac{c}{b} \ge \sqrt{3}.

Solutions — 4

Solution 1

Using the AM-GM inequality for three terms twice, one gets
2ca+cb=(2b+a)cab=(2b+a)2a2+b23ab=(b+b+a)a2+a2+b23ab3b2a33a4b233ab=33b2aa2b33ab=33ab3ab=3. \begin{aligned} \frac{2c}{a} + \frac{c}{b} &= \frac{(2b+a)c}{ab} = \frac{(2b+a)\sqrt{2a^2+b^2}}{3ab} = \frac{(b+b+a)\sqrt{a^2+a^2+b^2}}{3ab} \\ &\ge \frac{3\sqrt[3]{b^2a}\sqrt{3\sqrt[3]{a^4b^2}}}{3ab} = \frac{3\sqrt{3}\sqrt[3]{b^2a \cdot a^2b}}{3ab} = \frac{3\sqrt{3}ab}{3ab} = \sqrt{3}. \end{aligned}

Solution 2

Using HM-QM inequality for a,a,ba, a, b gives
32a+1b=31a+1a+1ba2+a2+b23=2a2+b23=9c23=3c. \frac{3}{\frac{2}{a} + \frac{1}{b}} = \frac{3}{\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b}} \le \sqrt{\frac{a^2 + a^2 + b^2}{3}} = \sqrt{\frac{2a^2 + b^2}{3}} = \sqrt{\frac{9c^2}{3}} = \sqrt{3}c.
Thus
(2a+1b)c33=3, \left(\frac{2}{a} + \frac{1}{b}\right) \cdot c \ge \frac{3}{\sqrt{3}} = \sqrt{3},
which implies the desired inequality.

Solution 3

(2ca+cb)2=(2b+a)2c2a2b2=(2b+a)2(2a2+b2)9a2b2==((a2+b2)+4ab+3b2)(a2+(a2+b2))9a2b2(6ab+3b2)(a2+2ab)9a2b2==(2a+b)(a+2b)3ab=2a2+5ab+2b23ab4ab+5ab3ab=3. \begin{aligned} \left(\frac{2c}{a} + \frac{c}{b}\right)^2 &= \frac{(2b+a)^2 c^2}{a^2 b^2} = \frac{(2b+a)^2 (2a^2 + b^2)}{9a^2 b^2} = \\ &= \frac{((a^2 + b^2) + 4ab + 3b^2)(a^2 + (a^2 + b^2))}{9a^2 b^2} \ge \frac{(6ab + 3b^2)(a^2 + 2ab)}{9a^2 b^2} = \\ &= \frac{(2a+b)(a+2b)}{3ab} = \frac{2a^2 + 5ab + 2b^2}{3ab} \ge \frac{4ab + 5ab}{3ab} = 3. \end{aligned}

Solution 4

The square of the l.h.s. of the desired inequality is
(2ca+cb)2=(2b+a)2(2a2+b2)9a2b2=19(2+ab)2(2+b2a2). \left(\frac{2c}{a} + \frac{c}{b}\right)^2 = \frac{(2b+a)^2(2a^2+b^2)}{9a^2b^2} = \frac{1}{9}\left(2+\frac{a}{b}\right)^2\left(2+\frac{b^2}{a^2}\right).
Denoting ab=x\frac{a}{b} = x, the desired inequality reduces to 19(2+x)2(2+1x2)3\frac{1}{9}(2+x)^2(2+\frac{1}{x^2}) \ge 3, which is equivalent to (2+x)2(2x2+1)27x2(2+x)^2(2x^2+1) \ge 27x^2. This in turn is equivalent to 2x4+8x318x2+4x+402x^4+8x^3-18x^2+4x+4 \ge 0, that is 2(x1)2(x2+6x+2)02(x-1)^2(x^2+6x+2) \ge 0 after factorization. This inequality holds, since on positive arguments the quadratic polynomial x2+6x+2x^2+6x+2 is positive.

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