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Algebra Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Ukraine

Let P(x)P(x), Q(x)Q(x) be polynomials with real coefficients such that P(0)>0P(0) > 0 and all coefficients of the polynomial S(x)=P(x)Q(x)S(x) = P(x)Q(x) are non-negative. Prove that for any positive xx the following inequality holds:
S(x2)S2(x)14(P2(x3)+Q(x3)). S(x^2) - S^2(x) \le \frac{1}{4}(P^2(x^3) + Q(x^3)).

Solution

If S=0S = 0, then Q=0Q = 0, and the inequality is evident. Suppose now that SS is not identically zero. Then x>0\forall x > 0 S(x)>0S(x) > 0. If for some y>0y > 0 P(y)<0P(y) < 0, then the polynomial PP, and so the polynomial SS, have roots on the interval (0,y)(0, y), which is impossible. So, PP and QQ are positive for x>0x > 0. Rewrite our inequality in the following way:
4(2P(x2)2Q(x2))(2P(x)2Q(x))2(2P(x3))2+2(2Q(x3)). 4(2P(x^2)2Q(x^2)) - (2P(x)2Q(x))^2 \le (2P(x^3))^2 + 2(2Q(x^3)).
Denote α=2P\alpha = 2P, β=2Q\beta = 2Q, γ=αβ=4PQ\gamma = \alpha\beta = 4PQ. Then the last inequality becomes:
4γ(x2)γ2(x)+α2(x3)+2β(x3). 4\gamma(x^2) \le \gamma^2(x) + \alpha^2(x^3) + 2\beta(x^3).
Estimate both sides of this inequality:
γ2(x)+α2(x3)+2β(x3)=γ2(x)+β(x3)+α2(x3)+β(x3)4γ2(x)α2(x3)β2(x3)4=4γ2(x3)γ2(x)4=4γ(x)γ(x3). \begin{aligned} \gamma^2(x) + \alpha^2(x^3) + 2\beta(x^3) &= \gamma^2(x) + \beta(x^3) + \alpha^2(x^3) + \beta(x^3) \ge \\ &\ge 4\sqrt[4]{\gamma^2(x)\alpha^2(x^3)\beta^2(x^3)} = 4\sqrt[4]{\gamma^2(x^3)\gamma^2(x)} = 4\sqrt{\gamma(x)\gamma(x^3)}. \end{aligned}
If γ(x)=a0+a1x++anxn\gamma(x) = a_0 + a_1x + \dots + a_nx^n, then
(a0+a1x++anxn)(a0+a1x3++anx3n)(a0a1+a1a2++anan+1)2 (a_0 + a_1x + \dots + a_nx^n)(a_0 + a_1x^3 + \dots + a_nx^{3n}) \ge (\sqrt{a_0a_1} + \sqrt{a_1a_2} + \dots + \sqrt{a_n a_{n+1}})^2
(the Cauchy-Schwartz inequality), which implies the required inequality.

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