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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Switzerland

Problem:

Determine the smallest possible value of the expression
ab+1a+b+bc+1b+c+ca+1c+a \frac{a b+1}{a+b}+\frac{b c+1}{b+c}+\frac{c a+1}{c+a}
where a,b,cRa, b, c \in \mathbb{R} satisfy a+b+c=1a+b+c=-1 and abc3a b c \leq -3.

Solution

Solution:

The minimum is 33, which is obtained for (a,b,c)=(1,1,3)(a, b, c) = (1, 1, -3) and permutations of this triple.

As abca b c is negative, the triple (a,b,c)(a, b, c) has either exactly one negative number or three negative numbers. Also, since abc3|a b c| \geq 3, at least one of the three numbers has absolute value greater than 11.

If all of a,b,ca, b, c were negative, the previous statement would contradict a+b+c=1a+b+c = -1, hence exactly one of a,b,ca, b, c is negative.

WLOG let cc be the unique negative number. So a,b>0>ca, b > 0 > c, as the value 00 isn't possible by abc3|a b c| \geq 3. Let SS be the given sum of fractions. We then have
S+3=cycab+1+a+ba+b=cyc(a+1)(b+1)a+b=cyc(a+1)(b+1)c+1cyca+1=(a+1)+(b+1)(c+1)=2a+2b+2 \begin{aligned} S+3 & = \sum_{cyc} \frac{a b+1+a+b}{a+b} = \sum_{cyc} \frac{(a+1)(b+1)}{a+b} = \sum_{cyc} -\frac{(a+1)(b+1)}{c+1} \\ & \geq \sum_{cyc} |a+1| = (a+1)+(b+1)-(c+1) = 2a+2b+2 \end{aligned}
using AM-GM on the three pairs of summands respectively for the inequality. We can do this since a+1,b+1>0a+1, b+1 > 0 and (c+1)=a+b>0-(c+1) = a+b > 0, so every summand is positive.

So all we want to do now is show a+b2a+b \geq 2, to conclude S3S \geq 3. From the two given conditions we have ab(1+a+b)3a b (1+a+b) \geq 3. If a+b<2a+b < 2, then ab(a+b2)2<1a b \leq \left(\frac{a+b}{2}\right)^2 < 1 and thereby ab(1+a+b)<3a b (1+a+b) < 3. So the implication ab(1+a+b)3a+b2a b (1+a+b) \geq 3 \Rightarrow a+b \geq 2 is indeed true.

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