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Algebra Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Prove that if x,y,zx, y, z are non-negative numbers, then
x3+y3+z3+3xyzx2(y+z)+y2(z+x)+z2(x+y). x^3 + y^3 + z^3 + 3xyz \geq x^2(y + z) + y^2(z + x) + z^2(x + y).
Determine the cases of equality.

Solution

This inequality is known as Schur's inequality. By symmetry, we may assume
0xyz0 \le x \le y \le z and introduce t=yxt = y - x and s=zys = z - y, which satisfy t,s0t, s \ge 0.
Using y=t+xy = t + x and z=y+s=t+s+xz = y + s = t + s + x the desired inequality can be
restated as follows.
0cyc(x3x2(y+z)+xyz)=x(xy)(xz)+y(yz)(yx)+z(zx)(zy)=xt(t+s)(t+x)ts+(t+s+x)(t+s)s=t(x(t+s)(t+x)s)+(t+s+x)(t+s)s=t2(xs)+(t2+t(2s+x)+s(s+x))s=t2x+ts(2s+x)+s2(s+x), \begin{align*} 0 &\le \sum_{\text{cyc}} (x^3 - x^2(y+z) + xyz) \\ &= x(x-y)(x-z) + y(y-z)(y-x) + z(z-x)(z-y) \\ &= xt(t+s) - (t+x)ts + (t+s+x)(t+s)s \\ &= t(x(t+s) - (t+x)s) + (t+s+x)(t+s)s \\ &= t^2(x-s) + (t^2 + t(2s+x) + s(s+x))s \\ &= t^2x + ts(2s+x) + s^2(s+x), \end{align*}
which holds, because x,t,sx, t, s are non-negative. Equality holds iff s=0s = 0 and
xt=0xt = 0. i.e. y=zy = z and either x=0x = 0 or y=xy = x. Thus, there is equality iff either
(i) x=0x = 0 and y=zy = z or
(ii) y=0y = 0 and z=xz = x or
(iii) z=0z = 0 and x=yx = y or
(iv) x=y=zx = y = z.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.