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IRL ABooklet

Algebra Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Let aa, bb, cc be positive real numbers with a≤ca \le c and b≤cb \le c. Prove that
(a+10b)(b+22c)(c+7a)≥2024abc. (a + 10b)(b + 22c)(c + 7a) \ge 2024 \quad abc.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

By the AM-GM inequality for eleven numbers (or weighted AM-GM) we get a+10b≥11ab1011a + 10b \ge 11\sqrt[11]{ab^{10}}. Similarly, we get
b+22c≥23bc2223andc+7a≥8ca78. b + 22c \ge 23\sqrt[23]{bc^{22}} \quad \text{and} \quad c + 7a \ge 8\sqrt[8]{ca^7}.
Multiplying these three inequalities gives
(a+10b)(b+22c)(c+7a)≥2024a111+78b1011+123c2223+18. (a + 10b)(b + 22c)(c + 7a) \ge 2024 a^{\frac{1}{11} + \frac{7}{8}} b^{\frac{10}{11} + \frac{1}{23}} c^{\frac{22}{23} + \frac{1}{8}}.
We will be finished if we can prove that
a111+78b1011+123c2223+18≥abc. a^{\frac{1}{11} + \frac{7}{8}} b^{\frac{10}{11} + \frac{1}{23}} c^{\frac{22}{23} + \frac{1}{8}} \ge abc.
Since 111+78=19552024\frac{1}{11} + \frac{7}{8} = \frac{1955}{2024}, 1011+123=19282024\frac{10}{11} + \frac{1}{23} = \frac{1928}{2024} and 2223+18=21892024\frac{22}{23} + \frac{1}{8} = \frac{2189}{2024}, this can be rewritten as
a1955b1928c2189≥a2024b2024c2024, which simplifies to c165=c69c96≥a69b96. a^{1955} b^{1928} c^{2189} \ge a^{2024} b^{2024} c^{2024}, \text{ which simplifies to } c^{165} = c^{69} c^{96} \ge a^{69} b^{96}.
Since c≥ac \ge a and c≥bc \ge b, we have c69≥a69c^{69} \ge a^{69} and c96≥b96c^{96} \ge b^{96}, hence c69c96≥a69b96c^{69}c^{96} \ge a^{69}b^{96}, which concludes the proof.

Solution 2

Define T=(a+10b)(b+22c)(c+7a)−2024abcT = (a + 10b)(b + 22c)(c + 7a) - 2024abc and expand
T=220c2b+22ac2+10cb2−483abc+154a2c+70ab2+7a2b. T = 220c^2b + 22ac^2 + 10cb^2 - 483abc + 154a^2c + 70ab^2 + 7a^2b.
Define x=c/ax = c/a and y=c/by = c/b and write T/c3T/c^3 in terms of xx and yy to get T=c3x2y2ST = \frac{c^3}{x^2y^2}S, where S=220x2y+22xy2+10x2−483xy+154y2+70x+7yS = 220x^2y + 22xy^2 + 10x^2 - 483xy + 154y^2 + 70x + 7y. Since x≥1x \ge 1 and y≥1y \ge 1, we can write x=u+1x = u + 1 and y=v+1y = v + 1 where u,v≥0u, v \ge 0 and obtain
S=220u2v+22uv2+230u2+uv+176v2+69u+96v. S = 220u^2v + 22uv^2 + 230u^2 + uv + 176v^2 + 69u + 96v.
Clearly S≥0S \ge 0 and hence T≥0T \ge 0 as required.

Solution 3

After multiplying the terms on the left hand side and simplifying, the original inequality becomes
220c2b+22ac2+10cb2+154a2c+70ab2+7a2b≥483abc. 220c^2b + 22ac^2 + 10cb^2 + 154a^2c + 70ab^2 + 7a^2b \geq 483abc.
The sum of the coefficients on the left hand side is 483, hence we can use weighted AM-GM to obtain
220c2b+22ac2+10cb2+154a2c+70ab2+7a2b≥483(c2b)220483(ac2)22483(cb2)10483(a2c)154483(ab2)70483(a2b)7483=483a414483b387483c648483≥483abc. \begin{aligned} & 220c^2b + 22ac^2 + 10cb^2 + 154a^2c + 70ab^2 + 7a^2b \\ & \geq 483(c^2b)^{\frac{220}{483}} (ac^2)^{\frac{22}{483}} (cb^2)^{\frac{10}{483}} (a^2c)^{\frac{154}{483}} (ab^2)^{\frac{70}{483}} (a^2b)^{\frac{7}{483}} \\ & = 483a^{\frac{414}{483}} b^{\frac{387}{483}} c^{\frac{648}{483}} \geq 483abc. \end{aligned}
The last inequality was obtained from
c69483≥a69483c96483≥b96483, c^{\frac{69}{483}} \geq a^{\frac{69}{483}} \quad c^{\frac{96}{483}} \geq b^{\frac{96}{483}},
using 648−69−96=483648 - 69 - 96 = 483, 414+69=483414 + 69 = 483 and 387+96=483387 + 96 = 483.

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