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Geometry Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Suppose xx, yy, zz are positive numbers that sum to π\pi. Prove that
sin2x+sin2y+sin2zsinx+siny+sinz1, \frac{\sin 2x + \sin 2y + \sin 2z}{\sin x + \sin y + \sin z} \le 1,
with equality iff x=y=z=π/3x = y = z = \pi/3.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

sin2x+sin2y+sin2z=sin2x+sin2ysin2(x+y)=sin2x(1cos2y)+sin2y(1cos2x)=2sin2xsin2y+2sin2ysin2x=4sinxsiny(cosxsiny+cosysinx)=4sinxsinysinz. \begin{align*} \sin 2x + \sin 2y + \sin 2z &= \sin 2x + \sin 2y - \sin 2(x + y) \\ &= \sin 2x(1 - \cos 2y) + \sin 2y(1 - \cos 2x) \\ &= 2 \sin 2x \sin^2 y + 2 \sin 2y \sin^2 x \\ &= 4 \sin x \sin y (\cos x \sin y + \cos y \sin x) \\ &= 4 \sin x \sin y \sin z. \end{align*}
Similarly
sinx+siny+sinz=sinx+siny+sin(x+y)=sinx(1+cosy)+siny(1+cosx)=2sinxcos2y2+2sinycos2x2=4cosx2cosy2(sinx2cosy2+siny2cosx2)=4cosx2cosy2sinx+y2=4cosx2cosy2cosz2. \begin{align*} \sin x + \sin y + \sin z &= \sin x + \sin y + \sin(x + y) \\ &= \sin x(1 + \cos y) + \sin y(1 + \cos x) \\ &= 2 \sin x \cos^2 \frac{y}{2} + 2 \sin y \cos^2 \frac{x}{2} \\ &= 4 \cos \frac{x}{2} \cos \frac{y}{2} \left( \sin \frac{x}{2} \cos \frac{y}{2} + \sin \frac{y}{2} \cos \frac{x}{2} \right) \\ &= 4 \cos \frac{x}{2} \cos \frac{y}{2} \sin \frac{x+y}{2} \\ &= 4 \cos \frac{x}{2} \cos \frac{y}{2} \cos \frac{z}{2}. \end{align*}
Hence
sin2x+sin2y+sin2zsinx+siny+sinz=8sinx2siny2sinz2. \frac{\sin 2x + \sin 2y + \sin 2z}{\sin x + \sin y + \sin z} = 8 \sin \frac{x}{2} \sin \frac{y}{2} \sin \frac{z}{2}.
But, if 0<a,b<π0 < a, b < \pi, then
sinasinbsina+b2, \sqrt{\sin a \sin b} \le \sin \frac{a+b}{2},
since
2sin2a+b22sinasinb=1cos(a+b)2sinasinb=1cosacosbsinasinb=1cos(ab)0, \begin{align*} 2 \sin^2 \frac{a+b}{2} - 2 \sin a \sin b &= 1 - \cos(a+b) - 2 \sin a \sin b \\ &= 1 - \cos a \cos b - \sin a \sin b \\ &= 1 - \cos(a-b) \\ &\ge 0, \end{align*}
with equality iff a=ba = b. Using Jensen's Inequality for the function f(x)=ln(sinx)f(x) = \ln(\sin x) it follows that if a,b,c[0,π]a, b, c \in [0, \pi], then
sinasinbsinc3sina+b+c3. \sqrt[3]{\sin a \sin b \sin c} \le \sin \frac{a+b+c}{3}.
Moreover, the inequality is strict unless a=b=ca = b = c.
It follows that
sinx2siny2sinz23sinx+y+z6=sinπ6=12 \sqrt[3]{\sin \frac{x}{2} \sin \frac{y}{2} \sin \frac{z}{2}} \le \sin \frac{x+y+z}{6} = \sin \frac{\pi}{6} = \frac{1}{2}
whence
8sinx2siny2sinz21, 8 \sin \frac{x}{2} \sin \frac{y}{2} \sin \frac{z}{2} \le 1,
with equality iff x=y=z=π/3x = y = z = \pi/3. The result follows.

Solution 2

Let ABCABC be a triangle with angles of size xx, yy and zz at AA, BB and CC, respectively. We follow standard notation and let OO be the circumcentre of ABC\triangle ABC, RR the circumradius, rr the inradius, a,b,ca, b, c the side lengths and ss the semi-perimeter.
By OBC|OBC| we denote the area of triangle OBCOBC etc. Because OA=OB=OC=R|OA| = |OB| = |OC| = R and BOC=2BAC\angle BOC = 2\angle BAC (central angle) etc., we have
OBC=12R2sin2x,OCA=12R2sin2y,OAB=12R2sin2z. |OBC| = \frac{1}{2} R^2 \sin 2x, \quad |OCA| = \frac{1}{2} R^2 \sin 2y, \quad |OAB| = \frac{1}{2} R^2 \sin 2z.
Using the well-known formula ABC=rs|ABC| = r s, these equations imply
sin2x+sin2y+sin2z=2R2(OBC+OCA+OAB)=2R2ABC=2rsR2. \begin{align*} \sin 2x + \sin 2y + \sin 2z &= \frac{2}{R^2} (|OBC| + |OCA| + |OAB|) \\ &= \frac{2}{R^2} |ABC| = \frac{2 r s}{R^2}. \end{align*}
On the other hand, from the extended Sine-Rule
sinxa=sinyb=sinzc=12R \frac{\sin x}{a} = \frac{\sin y}{b} = \frac{\sin z}{c} = \frac{1}{2R}
we obtain
sinx+siny+sinz=12R(a+b+c)=sR. \sin x + \sin y + \sin z = \frac{1}{2R}(a + b + c) = \frac{s}{R}.
Therefore,
sin2x+sin2y+sin2zsinx+siny+sinz=2rR \frac{\sin 2x + \sin 2y + \sin 2z}{\sin x + \sin y + \sin z} = \frac{2r}{R}
and the desired inequality is equivalent to Euler's inequality R2rR \ge 2r, which is a consequence of Euler's Theorem OI2=R(R2r)|OI|^2 = R(R-2r), where II is the incentre of ABC\triangle ABC.
The case of equality, R=2rR = 2r, therefore occurs exactly when O=IO = I and this is easily seen to be the case iff the triangle ABCABC is equilateral.

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