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Algebra Difficulty 4.6 AIME Prove it India

Let aa, bb, cc be distinct positive real numbers such that abc=1abc = 1. Prove that
cyclica6(ab)(ac)>15. \sum_{\text{cyclic}} \frac{a^6}{(a-b)(a-c)} > 15.

Solution

Let us consider a cubic polynomial whose roots are aa, bb, cc. We get P(x)=x3px2+qxrP(x) = x^3 - px^2 + qx - r, where p=a+b+cp = a + b + c, q=ab+bc+caq = ab + bc + ca and r=abcr = abc. We observe that
an(ab)(ac)+bn(bc)(ba)+cn(ca)(cb)=cyclican(bc)(ab)(bc)(ca) \frac{a^n}{(a-b)(a-c)} + \frac{b^n}{(b-c)(b-a)} + \frac{c^n}{(c-a)(c-b)} = \sum_{\text{cyclic}} \frac{-a^n(b-c)}{(a-b)(b-c)(c-a)}
Let us write
Sn=cyclican(bc)(ab)(bc)(ca) S_n = \sum_{\text{cyclic}} \frac{a^n (b-c)}{-(a-b)(b-c)(c-a)}
It is easy to see that S1=0S_1 = 0 and S2=1S_2 = 1. Since aa, bb, cc are the roots of P(x)=0P(x) = 0, we have a3pa2+qar=0a^3 - pa^2 + qa - r = 0, b3pb2+qbr=0b^3 - pb^2 + qb - r = 0, c3pc2+qcr=0c^3 - pc^2 + qc - r = 0. Multiply the first by bcb-c, the second by cac-a and the third by aba-b, and adding all these and dividing the sum by (ab)(bc)(ca)-(a-b)(b-c)(c-a), we obtain S3pS2+qS1=0S_3 - pS_2 + qS_1 = 0. Hence S3=pS_3 = p. Now multiply the first by aa, the second by bb and the third by cc and divide throughout by (ab)(bc)(ca)-(a-b)(b-c)(c-a) to get S4pS3+qS2rS1=0S_4 - pS_3 + qS_2 - rS_1 = 0. Hence S4=p2qS_4 = p^2 - q. Similarly, S5=p(p2q)qp+r=p32pq+rS_5 = p(p^2 - q) - qp + r = p^3 - 2pq + r. We also get S6pS5+qS4rS3=0S_6 - pS_5 + qS_4 - rS_3 = 0. This gives
S6=p(p32pq+r)q(p2q)+rp=p43p2q+2pr+q2. S_6 = p(p^3 - 2pq + r) - q(p^2 - q) + rp = p^4 - 3p^2q + 2pr + q^2.
We can write it as S6=p2(p23q)+2pr+q2S_6 = p^2(p^2 - 3q) + 2pr + q^2. But p23q=(a+b+c)23(ab+bc+ca)=a2+b2+c2abbcca>0p^2 - 3q = (a + b + c)^2 - 3(ab + bc + ca) = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 - ab - bc - ca > 0. Hence
S6>2pr+q2=2abc(a+b+c)+(ab+bc+ca)26+9=15. S_6 > 2pr + q^2 = 2abc(a + b + c) + (ab + bc + ca)^2 \geq 6 + 9 = 15.

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