Suppose that a, b, c are positive real numbers and a+b+c=3. Prove that c+2a+b+a+2b+c+b+2c+a≥2 and determine when equality holds.
Solution
Solution 1. Adding 3 to each side, we have to show 5≤c+2a+b+1+a+2b+c+1+b+2c+a+1=(a+b+c+2)(a+21+b+21+c+21)=5(a+21+b+21+c+21) Dividing by 5, this is equivalent to a+21+b+21+c+21≥1(4) Alternatively, we may substitute a+b=3−c=5−(c+2) in the first numerator and so on, which again leads us to (4). Now Jensen's inequality applied to the convex function f(x)=x+21 at the points a, b, c implies: 31(a+21+b+21+c+21)≥31(a+b+c)+21=31. Equality holds (in general) when a=b=c and in this specific case when a=b=c=1 since we are given a+b+c=3.
Rather than invoking Jensen's inequality, (4) can be proved by appeal to the AM-HM inequality, the AM-GM inequality or the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The AM-HM inequality application is immediate after multiplication by (a+2)+(b+2)+(c+2)=9. The use of AM-GM requires two steps: 31(a+21+b+21+c+21)≥3(a+2)(b+2)(c+2)1≥a+2+b+2+c+23=31. The Cauchy-Schwarz approach applies the inequality to the vectors (a+2,b+2,c+2)and(a+21,b+21,c+21) whence 9≤((a+2)+(b+2)+(c+2))(a+21+b+21+c+21)=9(a+21+b+21+c+21).
5−a−ba+b+a+23−a+b+23−b≥2. Cross-multiplying and moving all terms to the left (noting all the denominators are positive) gives: 5a2b+5ab2+5a2+5b2−10ab−15a−15b+20≥0. The left hand side can be rearranged as 5b(a−1)2+5a(b−1)2+5(a+b−2)2. This is non-negative, and zero iff a=b=1.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.