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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Bulgaria

Prove that if α,β,γ[0,π2]\alpha, \beta, \gamma \in [0, \frac{\pi}{2}] and tanα+tanβ+tanγ3\tan\alpha + \tan\beta + \tan\gamma \le 3, then
cos2α+cos2β+cos2γ0. \cos 2\alpha + \cos 2\beta + \cos 2\gamma \ge 0.

Solution

First solution. The inequality follows by the fact that if θ[0,π2]\theta \in [0, \frac{\pi}{2}], then
cos2θ=1sin2θtanθ1tanθ. \cos 2\theta = 1 - \sin 2\theta \cdot \tan \theta \ge 1 - \tan \theta.

Second solution. Set x=tanαx = \tan\alpha, y=tanβy = \tan\beta and z=tanγz = \tan\gamma. Then x,y,z0x, y, z \ge 0, x+y+z3x+y+z \le 3 and we have to prove that
cos2α+cos2β+cos2γ=1x21+x2+1y21+y2+1z21+z20. \cos 2\alpha + \cos 2\beta + \cos 2\gamma = \frac{1-x^2}{1+x^2} + \frac{1-y^2}{1+y^2} + \frac{1-z^2}{1+z^2} \ge 0.
This inequality can be written as
11+x2+11+y2+11+z232. \frac{1}{1+x^2} + \frac{1}{1+y^2} + \frac{1}{1+z^2} \ge \frac{3}{2}.
To prove the last inequality, it remains to use that 11+t21t2\frac{1}{1+t^2} \ge 1 - \frac{t}{2} is equivalent to t(t1)20t(t-1)^2 \ge 0.

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