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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME Prove it Hong Kong

Let aa, bb and cc be positive real numbers satisfying abc=1abc = 1. Prove that
1a3+2b2+2b+4+1b3+2c2+2c+4+1c3+2a2+2a+413. \frac{1}{a^3 + 2b^2 + 2b + 4} + \frac{1}{b^3 + 2c^2 + 2c + 4} + \frac{1}{c^3 + 2a^2 + 2a + 4} \le \frac{1}{3}.

Solution

By the AM-GM inequality, we have
a3+b2+b3a3b33=3ab,a^3 + b^2 + b \ge 3\sqrt[3]{a^3b^3} = 3ab,
b2+b+13b33=3b.b^2 + b + 1 \ge 3\sqrt[3]{b^3} = 3b.
This gives a3+2b2+2b+43ab+3b+3=3(ab+b+1)a^3 + 2b^2 + 2b + 4 \ge 3ab + 3b + 3 = 3(ab + b + 1). Since abc=1abc = 1, we can let a=xya = \frac{x}{y}, b=yzb = \frac{y}{z}, c=zxc = \frac{z}{x} for some positive real numbers x,y,zx, y, z. Then we have
1a3+2b2+2b+413(ab+b+1)=z3(x+y+z).(1) \frac{1}{a^3 + 2b^2 + 2b + 4} \le \frac{1}{3(ab + b + 1)} = \frac{z}{3(x + y + z)}. \quad (1)
By symmetry, we have
1b3+2c2+2c+4x3(y+z+x),(2) \frac{1}{b^3 + 2c^2 + 2c + 4} \le \frac{x}{3(y + z + x)}, \quad (2)
1c3+2a2+2a+4y3(z+x+y).(3) \frac{1}{c^3 + 2a^2 + 2a + 4} \le \frac{y}{3(z + x + y)}. \quad (3)
Adding (1), (2) and (3), we obtain the desired inequality. Equality holds when a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1.

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