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Geometry Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Suppose aa, bb, cc are the side lengths of a triangle. Prove that
(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)+a(bc)2+b(ca)2+c(ab)23(a3+b3+c3), (a+b+c)(a^2+b^2+c^2) + a(b-c)^2 + b(c-a)^2 + c(a-b)^2 \le 3(a^3+b^3+c^3),
with equality iff the triangle is equilateral.

Solution

3(a3+b3+c3)(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)=2(a3+b3+c3)+a2(b+c)+b2(c+a)+c2(a+b)=(a3+b3a2bab2)+(b3+c3b2cc2b)+(c3+a3c2aa2c)=(a+b)(ab)2+(b+c)(bc)2+(c+a)(ca)2(a+bc)(ab)2+(b+ca)(bc)2+(c+ab)(ca)2a(bc)2+b(ca)2+c(ab)2. \begin{align*} & 3(a^3 + b^3 + c^3) - (a + b + c)(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) \\ &= 2(a^3 + b^3 + c^3) + a^2(b + c) + b^2(c + a) + c^2(a + b) \\ &= (a^3 + b^3 - a^2b - ab^2) + (b^3 + c^3 - b^2c - c^2b) + (c^3 + a^3 - c^2a - a^2c) \\ &= (a + b)(a - b)^2 + (b + c)(b - c)^2 + (c + a)(c - a)^2 \\ &\geq (a + b - c)(a - b)^2 + (b + c - a)(b - c)^2 + (c + a - b)(c - a)^2 \\ &\geq a(b - c)^2 + b(c - a)^2 + c(a - b)^2. \end{align*}
In other words, the stated result holds and there is equality iff a=b=ca = b = c.

Solution 2:
Let x=a+bcx = a + b - c, y=b+cay = b + c - a, z=c+abz = c + a - b, so that
a=(z+x)/2,b=(x+y)/2,c=(y+z)/2, a = (z+x)/2, \quad b = (x+y)/2, \quad c = (y+z)/2,
whence a+b+c=x+y+za + b + c = x + y + z,
a2+b2+c2=12(x2+y2+z2+xy+yz+zx)=12(x2+xy),(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)=12(x3+2xy(x+y)+3xyz) \begin{align*} a^2 + b^2 + c^2 &= \frac{1}{2}(x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + xy + yz + zx) = \frac{1}{2}\left(\sum x^2 + \sum xy\right), \\ (a+b+c)(a^2+b^2+c^2) &= \frac{1}{2}\left(\sum x^3 + 2\sum xy(x+y) + 3xyz\right) \end{align*}
and
a3+b3+c3=18(2x3+3xy(x+y)). a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = \frac{1}{8}\left(2\sum x^3 + 3\sum xy(x+y)\right).
Also,
a(bc)2+b(ca)2+c(ab)2=18((z+x)(zx)2+(x+y)(xy)2+(y+z)(yz)2)=18(2(x3+y3+z3)xy(x+y)yz(y+z)zx(z+x)). \begin{align*} a(b-c)^2 + b(c-a)^2 + c(a-b)^2 \\ &= \frac{1}{8}\left((z+x)(z-x)^2 + (x+y)(x-y)^2 + (y+z)(y-z)^2\right) \\ &= \frac{1}{8}\left(2(x^3 + y^3 + z^3) - xy(x+y) - yz(y+z) - zx(z+x)\right). \end{align*}
Hence
(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2)+a(bc)2+b(ca)2+c(ab)2=12(x3+xy(x+y)+32xyz)+18((2x3+y3+z3)xy(x+y)yz(y+z)zx(z+x))=34(x3+y3+z3)+32xyz+78(xy(x+y)+yz(y+z)+zx(z+x)). \begin{align*} (a+b+c)(a^2+b^2+c^2) + a(b-c)^2 + b(c-a)^2 + c(a-b)^2 \\ &= \frac{1}{2}\left(\sum x^3 + \sum xy(x+y) + \frac{3}{2}xyz\right) \\ &\quad + \frac{1}{8}\left((2x^3+y^3+z^3) - xy(x+y) - yz(y+z) - zx(z+x)\right) \\ &= \frac{3}{4}(x^3+y^3+z^3) + \frac{3}{2}xyz + \frac{7}{8}(xy(x+y) + yz(y+z) + zx(z+x)). \end{align*}

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