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IRL ABooklet

Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

In the usual notation for a triangle ABCABC, prove that
2sin⁡A2≤abc, 2 \sin \frac{A}{2} \le \frac{a}{\sqrt{bc}},
with equality iff c=bc = b. Deduce, or prove otherwise, that
8sin⁡A2sin⁡B2sin⁡C2≤1, 8 \sin \frac{A}{2} \sin \frac{B}{2} \sin \frac{C}{2} \le 1,
and
sin⁡2A2+sin⁡2B2+sin⁡2C2≤a3+b3+c34abc, \sin^2 \frac{A}{2} + \sin^2 \frac{B}{2} + \sin^2 \frac{C}{2} \le \frac{a^3 + b^3 + c^3}{4abc},
with equality in both cases iff ABCABC is equilateral.

Solution

The half-angle formula, 2sin⁡2(A/2)=1−cos⁡A2\sin^2(A/2) = 1 - \cos A, and the Cosine-Rule give
4sin⁡2A2=2(1−cos⁡A)=2−b2+c2−a2bc=a2−(b−c)2bc≤a2bc, 4 \sin^2 \frac{A}{2} = 2(1 - \cos A) = 2 - \frac{b^2 + c^2 - a^2}{bc} = \frac{a^2 - (b-c)^2}{bc} \le \frac{a^2}{bc},
with equality iff b=cb = c. Because sin⁡(A/2)>0\sin(A/2) > 0, we can take square roots to obtain the first inequality. The second and third inequalities follow immediately. Here is another approach to the third one:
4(sin⁡2A2+sin⁡2B2+sin⁡2C2)=2(1−cos⁡A)+2(1−cos⁡B)+2(1−cos⁡C)=6−b2+c2−a2bc−c2+a2−b2ca−a2+b2−c2ab=6−(bc+cb+ac+ac+ab+ba)+a3+b3+c3abc=9−(a+b+c)(1a+1b+1c)+a3+b3+c3abc≤a3+b3+c3abc, \begin{aligned} & 4 \left( \sin^2 \frac{A}{2} + \sin^2 \frac{B}{2} + \sin^2 \frac{C}{2} \right) \\ &= 2(1 - \cos A) + 2(1 - \cos B) + 2(1 - \cos C) \\ &= 6 - \frac{b^2 + c^2 - a^2}{bc} - \frac{c^2 + a^2 - b^2}{ca} - \frac{a^2 + b^2 - c^2}{ab} \\ &= 6 - \left( \frac{b}{c} + \frac{c}{b} + \frac{a}{c} + \frac{a}{c} + \frac{a}{b} + \frac{b}{a} \right) + \frac{a^3 + b^3 + c^3}{abc} \\ &= 9 - (a+b+c) \left( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} \right) + \frac{a^3 + b^3 + c^3}{abc} \\ &\le \frac{a^3 + b^3 + c^3}{abc}, \end{aligned}
since, by the HM-AM inequality, for any positive numbers x,y,zx, y, z,
(x+y+z)(1x+1y+1z)≥9, (x + y + z) \left( \frac{1}{x} + \frac{1}{y} + \frac{1}{z} \right) \ge 9,
with equality iff x=y=zx = y = z.

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