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Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let aa, bb, cc, dd be arbitrary real numbers satisfying a+b+c+d=0a + b + c + d = 0. Prove that:
1296(a7+b7+c7+d7)2637(a2+b2+c2+d2)7. 1296(a^7 + b^7 + c^7 + d^7)^2 \le 637(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2)^7.

Solution

By the symmetry of the given conditions, we may assume without loss of generality that aa is the largest and dd is the smallest. From the assumption we know a0a \ge 0, d0d \le 0 and d=(a+b+c)0d = -(a+b+c) \le 0, that is, a+b+c0a+b+c \ge 0.
Let Sk=ak+bk+ck+dkS_k = a^k + b^k + c^k + d^k, where kk is a positive integer, then S7=a7+b7+c7(a+b+c)7S_7 = a^7 + b^7 + c^7 - (a+b+c)^7.
Because when a=ba = -b or b=cb = -c or c=ac = -a, S7=0S_7 = 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)]. S_7 = (a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[x(a^4 + b^4 + c^4) + y(a^3b + ab^3 + b^3c + bc^3 + c^3a + ca^3) + z(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) + wabc(a+b+c)].
(Because S7S_7 is a symmetric homogeneous polynomial in a,b,ca, b, c.)
In the above expression, taking respectively a=b=1,c=0a = b = 1, c = 0; a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1; a=b=1,c=2a = b = 1, c = 2; a=b=1,c=3a = 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. \begin{cases} 2x + 2y + z + 63 = 0, \\ x + 2y + z + w + 91 = 0, \\ 54x + 66y + 27z + 24w + 2709 = 0, \\ 332x + 248y + 76z + 60w + 9492 = 0. \end{cases}

Solving, we get x=7,y=14,z=21,w=35x = -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)]. \begin{align*} S_7 &= -7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a^4 + b^4 + c^4) \\ &\quad +2(a^3b + ab^3 + b^3c + bc^3 + c^3a + ca^3) \\ &\quad +3(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) + 5abc(a+b+c)] \\ &= -7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a^2 + b^2 + c^2)^2 \\ &\quad +2(ab + bc + ca)(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) + (ab + bc + ca)^2 + abc(a+b+c)] \\ &= -7(a+b)(b+c)(c+a)[(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + bc + ca)^2 + abc(a+b+c)]. \end{align*}
S2=a2+b2+c2+(a+b+c)2=2(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)=(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2. \begin{align*} S_2 &= a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + (a+b+c)^2 \\ &= 2(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + bc + ca) \\ &= (a+b)^2 + (b+c)^2 + (c+a)^2. \end{align*}
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. 27(a + b)^2(b + c)^2(c + a)^2 \\ \le [(a + b)^2 + (b + c)^2 + (c + a)^2]^3.
Also, from
abc(a+b+c)13(ab+bc+ca)2, ab+bc+caa2+b2+c2, abc(a + b + c) \le \frac{1}{3}(ab + bc + ca)^2, \ ab + bc + ca \le a^2 + b^2 + c^2,
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)252(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2=13[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2]2. \begin{align*} & 48[(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + bc + ca)^2 + abc(a + b + c)] \\ & \le 48(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + bc + ca)^2 + 16(ab + bc + ca)^2 \\ & \le 52(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + bc + ca)^2 \\ & = 13[(a + b)^2 + (b + c)^2 + (c + a)^2]^2. \end{align*}

1296S_7^2

=49[27(a+b)2(b+c)2(c+a)2]×{48[(a2+b2+c2+ab+bc+ca)2+abc(a+b+c)]}249[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+1)2]3{13[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2]2}2=637[(a+b)2+(b+c)2+(c+a)2]7.\begin{align*} &= 49[27(a+b)^2(b+c)^2(c+a)^2] \times \\ &\quad \{48[(a^2+b^2+c^2+ab+bc+ca)^2+abc(a+b+c)]\}^2 \\ &\le 49[(a+b)^2+(b+c)^2+(c+1)^2]^3 \{13[(a+b)^2+(b+c)^2+(c+a)^2]^2\}^2 \\ &= 637[(a+b)^2+(b+c)^2+(c+a)^2]^7. \end{align*}

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