Let a, b, c, d be arbitrary real numbers satisfying a+b+c+d=0. Prove that: 1296(a7+b7+c7+d7)2≤637(a2+b2+c2+d2)7.
Solution
By the symmetry of the given conditions, we may assume without loss of generality that a is the largest and d is the smallest. From the assumption we know a≥0, d≤0 and d=−(a+b+c)≤0, that is, a+b+c≥0. Let Sk=ak+bk+ck+dk, where k is a positive integer, then S7=a7+b7+c7−(a+b+c)7. Because when a=−b or b=−c or c=−a, S7=0. Hence we may assume S7=(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[x(a4+b4+c4)+y(a3b+ab3+b3c+bc3+c3a+ca3)+z(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)+wabc(a+b+c)]. (Because S7 is a symmetric homogeneous polynomial in a,b,c.) In the above expression, taking respectively a=b=1,c=0; a=b=c=1; a=b=1,c=2; a=b=1,c=3, we obtain ⎩⎨⎧2x+2y+z+63=0,x+2y+z+w+91=0,54x+66y+27z+24w+2709=0,332x+248y+76z+60w+9492=0.
Solving, we get x=−7,y=−14,z=−21,w=−35. Hence, we obtain S7=−7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a4+b4+c4)+2(a3b+ab3+b3c+bc3+c3a+ca3)+3(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)+5abc(a+b+c)]=−7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a2+b2+c2)2+2(ab+bc+ca)(a2+b2+c2)+(ab+bc+ca)2+abc(a+b+c)]=−7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2+abc(a+b+c)]. S2=a2+b2+c2+(a+b+c)2=2(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)=(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2. By the AM-GM inequality, we get 27(a+b)2(b+c)2(c+a)2≤[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2]3. Also, from abc(a+b+c)≤31(ab+bc+ca)2,ab+bc+ca≤a2+b2+c2, we get 48[(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2+abc(a+b+c)]≤48(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2+16(ab+bc+ca)2≤52(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2=13[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2]2.