If a, b, c, d are positive real numbers such that abcd=1 then prove that the inequality bc+cd+da−11+ab+cd+da−11+ab+bc+da−11+ab+bc+cd−11≤2 holds.
Solutions — 2
Solution 1
By multiplying 1+bc+cd+da and 1+ab together we get (1+bc+cd+da)(1+ab)=1+bc+cd+da+ab+ab2c+abcd+a2bd==2+ab+bc+cd+da+db+ca From the inequality between the arithmetic and the geometric mean for the positive numbers db and ca, and from the equality abcd=1 we get db+ca≥2cdab=2ab, and hence it holds that (1+bc+cd+da)(1+ab)≥2+2ab+ab+bc+cd+da i.e. 1+bc+cd+da≥2+1+abab+bc+cd+da or ab+bc+cd+da1+ab≥bc+cd+da−11(1) Analogously we get ab+bc+cd+da1+bc≥ab+cd+da−11(2) ab+bc+cd+da1+da≥ab+bc+cd−11(3) and ab+bc+cd+da1+da≥ab+bc+cd−11(4) By adding (1), (2), (3) and (4) together we get the inequality ab+bc+cd+da4+ab+bc+cd+da≥bc+cd+da−11+ab+cd+da−11+ab+bc+da−11+ab+bc+cd−11 Since ab+bc+cd+da≥44(abcd)2=4 it follows that bc+cd+da−11+ab+cd+da−11+ab+bc+da−11+ab+bc+cd−11≤1+ab+bc+cd+da4≤2 which was to be proven.
Solution 2
We will introduce the substitutions ab=p and bc=q. According to that, cd=p1 and ad=q1, so the given inequality is equivalent to the inequality q+p1+q1−11+p+p1+q1−11+p+q+q1−11+p+q+p1−11≤2 On the other hand, if we use the inequalities p+p1≥2 and q+q1≥2 we get q+p1+q1−11+p+p1+q1−11+p+q+q1−11+p+q+p1−11≤1+p11+1+q11+1+p1+1+q1==p+1p+p+11+q+1q+q+11=2.
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Source: MathNet,
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