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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Romania

If xx, yy and zz are real numbers such that x2+y2+z2=2x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 2, prove that x+y+zxyz+2x + y + z \le xyz + 2.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Notice that 2xyx2+y2x2+y2+z2=22xy \le x^2 + y^2 \le x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 2, therefore xy1xy \le 1. Similarly, xz1xz \le 1, and yz1yz \le 1. We also have (x+y)2=x2+y2+2xy4(x+y)^2 = x^2 + y^2 + 2xy \le 4, so x+yx+y2x+y \le |x+y| \le 2. Also, x+z2x+z \le 2, and y+z2y+z \le 2. If one of the numbers is negative, let's say zz, then the conclusion follows from the inequalities x+y2x+y \le 2 and zxyzz \le xyz.

In the case x,y,z[0,1]x, y, z \in [0, 1], we have z(1xy)1xy2xyz(1 - xy) \le 1 - xy \le 2 - x - y (the last inequality is equivalent to (1x)(1y)0(1-x)(1-y) \ge 0).

We may have at most one number greater than 1, otherwise the product of two such numbers would be greater than 1. We are left with the case x,y[0,1]x, y \in [0, 1] and z>1z > 1. In this case (1x)(1y)(z1)0xyz+2xy+yz+xz+3(x+y+z)x+y+z(1-x)(1-y)(z-1) \ge 0 \Leftrightarrow xyz + 2 \ge xy + yz + xz + 3 - (x+y+z) \ge x+y+z, the last inequality being equivalent to 2(xy+yz+zx)+6=(x+y+z)2+44(x+y+z)2(xy+yz+zx)+6 = (x+y+z)^2+4 \ge 4(x+y+z).

Solution 2

Using Cauchy-Buniakowsky-Schwarz we get (x+y+zxyz)2=((x+y)+z(1xy))2((x+y)2+z2)(1+(1xy)2)=(2+2xy)(22xy+x2y2)=4+2x2y2(xy1)4(x + y + z - xyz)^2 = ((x+y)+z(1-xy))^2 \le ((x+y)^2+z^2)(1+(1-xy)^2) = (2+2xy)(2-2xy+x^2y^2) = 4+2x^2y^2(xy-1) \le 4 since x2+y22x^2 + y^2 \le 2 and xy1xy \le 1.

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