Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2008

Algebra Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it JBMO

Problem:
Let aa, bb and cc be positive real numbers such that abc=1a b c = 1. Prove the inequality
(ab+bc+1ca)(bc+ca+1ab)(ca+ab+1bc)(1+2a)(1+2b)(1+2c) \left(a b + b c + \frac{1}{c a}\right)\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(c a + a b + \frac{1}{b c}\right) \geq (1 + 2 a)(1 + 2 b)(1 + 2 c)

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:
By Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and abc=1a b c = 1 we get
(bc+ca+1ab)(ab+bc+1ca)=(bc+ca+1ab)(1ca+ab+bc)(ab1ab+bcbc+1caca)=(2+bc)=(2abc+bc)=bc(1+2a) \begin{gathered} \sqrt{\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(a b + b c + \frac{1}{c a}\right)} = \sqrt{\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(\frac{1}{c a} + a b + b c\right)} \geq \\ \left(\sqrt{a b} \cdot \sqrt{\frac{1}{a b}} + \sqrt{b c} \cdot \sqrt{b c} + \sqrt{\frac{1}{c a}} \cdot \sqrt{c a}\right) = (2 + b c) = (2 a b c + b c) = b c(1 + 2 a) \end{gathered}
Analogously we get (bc+ca+1ab)(ca+ab+1bc)ca(1+2b)\sqrt{\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(c a + a b + \frac{1}{b c}\right)} \geq c a(1 + 2 b) and
(ca+ab+1bc)(ab+bc+1ca)ab(1+2a)\sqrt{\left(c a + a b + \frac{1}{b c}\right)\left(a b + b c + \frac{1}{c a}\right)} \geq a b(1 + 2 a).
Multiplying these three inequalities we get:
(ab+bc+1ca)(bc+ca+1ab)(ca+ab+1bc)a2b2c2(1+2a)(1+2b)(1+2c)= \left(a b + b c + \frac{1}{c a}\right)\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(c a + a b + \frac{1}{b c}\right) \geq a^{2} b^{2} c^{2}(1 + 2 a)(1 + 2 b)(1 + 2 c) =
(1+2a)(1+2b)(1+2c)(1 + 2 a)(1 + 2 b)(1 + 2 c) because abc=1a b c = 1.

Equality holds if and only if a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1.

Solution 2

Solution:
Using abc=1a b c = 1 we get
(ab+bc+1ca)(bc+ca+1ab)(ca+ab+1bc)==(1c+1a+b)(1a+1b+c)(1b+1c+a)==(a+c+abc)ac(b+a+abc)ab(b+c+abc)bc=(a+b+1)(b+c+1)(c+a+1) \begin{gathered} \left(a b + b c + \frac{1}{c a}\right)\left(b c + c a + \frac{1}{a b}\right)\left(c a + a b + \frac{1}{b c}\right) = \\ = \left(\frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{a} + b\right)\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + c\right)\left(\frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} + a\right) = \\ = \frac{(a + c + a b c)}{a c} \cdot \frac{(b + a + a b c)}{a b} \cdot \frac{(b + c + a b c)}{b c} = (a + b + 1)(b + c + 1)(c + a + 1) \end{gathered}
Thus, we need to prove
(a+b+1)(b+c+1)(c+a+1)(1+2a)(1+2b)(1+2c) (a + b + 1)(b + c + 1)(c + a + 1) \geq (1 + 2 a)(1 + 2 b)(1 + 2 c)
After multiplication and using the fact abc=1a b c = 1 we have to prove
a2b+a2c+b2c+b2a+c2a+c2b+3(ab+bc+ca)+2(a+b+c)+a2+b2+c2+34(ab+bc+ca)+2(a+b+c)+9 \begin{gathered} a^{2} b + a^{2} c + b^{2} c + b^{2} a + c^{2} a + c^{2} b + 3(a b + b c + c a) + 2(a + b + c) + a^{2} + b^{2} + c^{2} + 3 \geq \\ \geq 4(a b + b c + c a) + 2(a + b + c) + 9 \end{gathered}
So we need to prove
a2b+a2c+b2c+b2a+c2a+c2b+a2+b2+c2ab+bc+ca+6 a^{2} b + a^{2} c + b^{2} c + b^{2} a + c^{2} a + c^{2} b + a^{2} + b^{2} + c^{2} \geq a b + b c + c a + 6
This follows from the well-known (AM-GM inequality) inequalities
a2+b2+c2ab+bc+ca a^{2} + b^{2} + c^{2} \geq a b + b c + c a
and
a2b+a2c+b2c+b2a+c2a+c2b6abc=6 a^{2} b + a^{2} c + b^{2} c + b^{2} a + c^{2} a + c^{2} b \geq 6 a b c = 6

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