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Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Greece

Determine the greatest possible value of MM for which:
x1+yzx+y1+zxy+z1+xyzM, \frac{x}{1+\frac{yz}{x}} + \frac{y}{1+\frac{zx}{y}} + \frac{z}{1+\frac{xy}{z}} \ge M,
for all real numbers x,y,z>0x, y, z > 0 satisfying the equation: xy+yz+zx=1xy + yz + zx = 1.

Solution

The inequality is equivalent to
x2x+yz+y2y+zx+z2z+xyM.(1) \frac{x^2}{x+yz} + \frac{y^2}{y+zx} + \frac{z^2}{z+xy} \ge M. \quad (1)
Since x,y,z>0x, y, z > 0, from Cauchy-Schwarz inequality we find
(x2x+yz+y2y+zx+z2z+xy)(x+yz+y+zx+z+xy)(x+y+z)2x2x+yz+y2y+zx+z2z+xy(x+y+z)2x+y+z+xy+yz+zxx2x+yz+y2y+zx+z2z+xy(x+y+z)2x+y+z+1,(2) \begin{aligned} & \left( \frac{x^2}{x+yz} + \frac{y^2}{y+zx} + \frac{z^2}{z+xy} \right) (x+yz+y+zx+z+xy) \ge (x+y+z)^2 \\ \Leftrightarrow & \frac{x^2}{x+yz} + \frac{y^2}{y+zx} + \frac{z^2}{z+xy} \ge \frac{(x+y+z)^2}{x+y+z+xy+yz+zx} \\ \Leftrightarrow & \frac{x^2}{x+yz} + \frac{y^2}{y+zx} + \frac{z^2}{z+xy} \ge \frac{(x+y+z)^2}{x+y+z+1}, \end{aligned} \quad (2)
From (x+y+z)23(xy+yz+zx)(x+y+z)^2 \ge 3(xy+yz+zx), it follows that: x+y+z3x+y+z \ge \sqrt{3}, where the equality holds when x=y=z=3/3x=y=z=\sqrt{3}/3.
Now we consider the function f(u)=u2u+1f(u) = \frac{u^2}{u+1}, u3u \ge \sqrt{3}, which is strictly increasing, because for u>v3u > v \ge \sqrt{3} we have f(u)>f(v)f(u) > f(v). In fact we have
f(u)>f(v)u2u+1>v2v+1u2v+u2uv2v2>0(uv)(uv+u+v)>0uv>0, since uv+u+v>0. \begin{align*} f(u) > f(v) &\Leftrightarrow \frac{u^2}{u+1} > \frac{v^2}{v+1} \\ &\Leftrightarrow u^2v + u^2 - uv^2 - v^2 > 0 \\ &\Leftrightarrow (u-v)(uv+u+v) > 0 \\ &\Leftrightarrow u-v > 0, \text{ since } uv+u+v > 0. \end{align*}
Therefore f(u)f(3)=33+1f(u) \ge f(\sqrt{3}) = \frac{3}{\sqrt{3}+1}, and hence from inequality (2) we have:
x2x+yz+y2y+zx+z2z+xy(x+y+z)2x+y+z+133+1, \frac{x^2}{x+yz} + \frac{y^2}{y+zx} + \frac{z^2}{z+xy} \ge \frac{(x+y+z)^2}{x+y+z+1} \ge \frac{3}{\sqrt{3}+1},
for all x,y,z>0x, y, z > 0 with xy+yz+zx=1xy + yz + zx = 1. Hence: M=33+1M = \frac{3}{\sqrt{3}+1}.

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