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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National olympiad Prove it Ukraine

We say that the triple a,b,ca, b, c from the segment [1;1][-1; 1] is worthy, if these numbers satisfy the inequality 1+2abc>a2+b2+c21 + 2abc > a^2 + b^2 + c^2. Prove that if the triples a,b,ca, b, c and x,y,zx, y, z are worthy, then ax,by,czax, by, cz is worthy as well.

(Voloshyn Denys)

Solution

We are given the following inequalities:
1+2abca2+b2+c2 and 1+2xyzx2+y2+z2,(1) 1 + 2abc \ge a^2 + b^2 + c^2 \text{ and } 1 + 2xyz \ge x^2 + y^2 + z^2, \quad (1)
and we need to show that the following inequality holds:
1+2abcxyz(ax)2+(by)2+(cz)2.(2) 1 + 2abcxyz \ge (ax)^2 + (by)^2 + (cz)^2. \quad (2)
First observation: we can assume that all numbers are non-negative. Indeed, if abcxyz0abcxyz \ge 0, then after taking the absolute values the inequality (2) does not change, while the inequalities (1) can only become stronger. If abcxyz<0abcxyz < 0, then either abc<0abc < 0 or xyz<0xyz < 0; without loss of generality, assume the former, then
1+2abcxyz1+2abca2+b2+c2(ax)2+(by)2+(cz)2. 1 + 2abcxyz \ge 1 + 2abc \ge a^2 + b^2 + c^2 \ge (ax)^2 + (by)^2 + (cz)^2.
Next, we can assume without loss of generality that abca \le b \le c. Inequalities (1) and the left-hand side of (2) are invariant to the permutation of x,y,zx, y, z. From the inequality for ordered tuples we get that the right-hand side of (2) is maximized when xyzx \le y \le z, hence, it is enough to prove the statement only for this case.

Solving the inequality (2) as quadratic w.r.t. czcz, we get the equivalent inequality:
abxy(1a2x2)(1b2y2)czabxy+(1a2x2)(1b2y2). abxy - \sqrt{(1 - a^2x^2)(1 - b^2y^2)} \le cz \le abxy + \sqrt{(1 - a^2x^2)(1 - b^2y^2)}.
The inequality on the left is obvious since czaxabxycz \ge ax \ge abxy. Let us prove the inequality on the right. By solving the inequalities (1) as quadratic w.r.t. cc and zz, we get
cab+(1a2)(1b2) and zxy+(1x2)(1y2). c \le ab + \sqrt{(1 - a^2)(1 - b^2)} \text{ and } z \le xy + \sqrt{(1 - x^2)(1 - y^2)}.
Thus, it is enough to show that
(ab+(1a2)(1b2))(xy+(1x2)(1y2))abxy+(1a2x2)(1b2y2).(3) (ab + \sqrt{(1 - a^2)(1 - b^2)}) (xy + \sqrt{(1 - x^2)(1 - y^2)}) \le abxy + \sqrt{(1 - a^2x^2)(1 - b^2y^2)}. \quad (3)
Suppose that some of the numbers a,b,x,ya, b, x, y are equal to 1. Taking into account that aba \le b and xyx \le y, it is enough to consider the case b=1b=1 (the case y=1y=1 is similar). The inequality (3) becomes
a(1x2)(1y2)(1a2x2)(1y2), a\sqrt{(1 - x^2)(1 - y^2)} \le \sqrt{(1 - a^2x^2)(1 - y^2)},
which is now obvious since a1,1a2x21x2a \le 1, 1 - a^2x^2 \ge 1 - x^2.
Now, suppose that none of the numbers is equal to 1. By expanding the brackets in the left-hand side and dividing by (1a2)(1b2)(1x2)(1y2)\sqrt{(1 - a^2)(1 - b^2)(1 - x^2)(1 - y^2)}, we get after minor simplifications the equivalent inequality:
1+AB+XY(1+A2+X2)(1+B2+Y2), 1 + AB + XY \le \sqrt{(1 + A^2 + X^2)(1 + B^2 + Y^2)},
where A=a1a2,B=b1b2,X=x1x2,Y=y1y2A = \frac{a}{\sqrt{1-a^2}}, B = \frac{b}{\sqrt{1-b^2}}, X = \frac{x}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}, Y = \frac{y}{\sqrt{1-y^2}}. And the last inequality is a partial case of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality.

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