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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Romania

Find the largest possible value of the expression
a+bca3+b3+abc+b+cab3+c3+abc+c+abc3+a3+abc, \frac{a+b-c}{a^3+b^3+abc} + \frac{b+c-a}{b^3+c^3+abc} + \frac{c+a-b}{c^3+a^3+abc},
where aa, bb, cc are positive real numbers such that a+b+c1a+1b+1ca + b + c \ge \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}.

Solution

Denote by E(a,b,c)E(a, b, c) the given expression. First, we find the maximum value of E(a,b,c)E(a, b, c) under the assumption that a+bca + b - c, b+cab + c - a, c+abc + a - b are non-negative.
Since a2+b2ababa^2 + b^2 - ab \ge ab, it follows that a3+b3=(a+b)(a2+b2ab)ab(a+b)a^3 + b^3 = (a + b)(a^2 + b^2 - ab) \ge ab(a + b), so a3+b3+abcab(a+b+c)a^3 + b^3 + abc \ge ab(a + b + c). Analogously, we have b3+c3+abcbc(a+b+c)b^3 + c^3 + abc \ge bc(a + b + c) and c3+a3+abcca(a+b+c)c^3 + a^3 + abc \ge ca(a + b + c). Therefore:
E(a,b,c)=a+bca3+b3+abca+bcab(a+b+c)=1a+b+ca+bcab E(a, b, c) = \sum \frac{a+b-c}{a^3+b^3+abc} \le \sum \frac{a+b-c}{ab(a+b+c)} = \frac{1}{a+b+c} \cdot \sum \frac{a+b-c}{ab}
Since a+bcab=2(ab+bc+ca)(a2+b2+c2)abc2(ab+bc+ca)(ab+bc+ca)abc\sum \frac{a+b-c}{ab} = \frac{2(ab+bc+ca)-(a^2+b^2+c^2)}{abc} \le \frac{2(ab+bc+ca)-(ab+bc+ca)}{abc} (due to the well-known inequality a2+b2+c2ab+bc+caa^2 + b^2 + c^2 \ge ab + bc + ca), we infer that
E(a,b,c)1a+b+cab+bc+caabc=1a+b+c(1a+1b+1c)1. E(a, b, c) \le \frac{1}{a+b+c} \cdot \frac{ab+bc+ca}{abc} = \frac{1}{a+b+c} \left( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} \right) \le 1.
Consider now the case when at least one of the numbers a+bca + b - c, b+cab + c - a, c+abc + a - b is negative. Without loss of generality, suppose that a+bc<0a + b - c < 0. Then c>a+b>abc > a + b > |a - b|, so both numbers b+cab + c - a and c+abc + a - b are positive. It follows that:
a+bca3+b3+abcb+cab3+c3+abc+c+abc3+a3+abcb+cabc(a+b+c)+c+abca(a+b+c)=1a+b+cac+bc(ab)2abc<1a+b+cab+bc+caabc=1a+b+c(1a+1b+1c)1. \begin{align*} \sum \frac{a+b-c}{a^3+b^3+abc} &\le \frac{b+c-a}{b^3+c^3+abc} + \frac{c+a-b}{c^3+a^3+abc} \\ &\le \frac{b+c-a}{bc(a+b+c)} + \frac{c+a-b}{ca(a+b+c)} \\ &= \frac{1}{a+b+c} \cdot \frac{ac+bc-(a-b)^2}{abc} < \frac{1}{a+b+c} \cdot \frac{ab+bc+ca}{abc} \\ &= \frac{1}{a+b+c} \left( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} \right) \le 1. \end{align*}
In summary, the maximum value of E(a,b,c)E(a, b, c) is equal to 11 and it is attained if and only if a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1.

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