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Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Prove that
3x22x+34x6+1232x23x+2, \frac{3x^2 - 2x + 3}{4} \le \sqrt[3]{\frac{x^6 + 1}{2}} \le 2x^2 - 3x + 2,
for all non-negative real xx, with equality iff x=1x = 1.

Solution

These inequalities are surely true when x=0x = 0, so assume x>0x > 0 and let y=x+1xy = x + \frac{1}{x}, so that y2y \ge 2, and
y33y=x3+3x+3x+1x33(x+1x)=x3+1x3=x6+1x3. y^3 - 3y = x^3 + 3x + \frac{3}{x} + \frac{1}{x^3} - 3\left(x + \frac{1}{x}\right) = x^3 + \frac{1}{x^3} = \frac{x^6 + 1}{x^3}.
Also
3x22x+34=x4(3x2+3x)=x3y24, \frac{3x^2 - 2x + 3}{4} = \frac{x}{4} \left( 3x - 2 + \frac{3}{x} \right) = x \cdot \frac{3y - 2}{4},
and
2x23x+2=x(2y3). 2x^2 - 3x + 2 = x(2y - 3).
Hence, we are required to prove that
3y24y33y232y3,for all y2. \frac{3y - 2}{4} \le \sqrt[3]{\frac{y^3 - 3y}{2}} \le 2y - 3, \quad \text{for all } y \ge 2.
Consider the rightmost inequality. It holds iff
y33y2(2y3)3=16y372y2+108y54,i.e.015y372y2+111y54=3(y1)(y2)(5y9), \begin{aligned} y^3 - 3y &\le 2(2y - 3)^3 = 16y^3 - 72y^2 + 108y - 54, \quad \text{i.e.} \\ 0 &\le 15y^3 - 72y^2 + 111y - 54 = 3(y - 1)(y - 2)(5y - 9), \end{aligned}
which is true since each factor is non-negative. Clearly, this inequality is strict unless y=2y = 2, i.e. x=1x = 1.
We treat the leftmost one similarly, which is equivalent to the claim that (3y2)332(y33y)(3y - 2)^3 \le 32(y^3 - 3y) for all y2y \ge 2. Expanding and simplifying this becomes
05y3+54y2132y+8=(y2)(5y2+62y+2(y2)), 0 \le 5y^3 + 54y^2 - 132y + 8 = (y - 2)(5y^2 + 62y + 2(y - 2)),
which is true, with equality iff y=2y = 2. The result follows.

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