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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Given m0m \ge 0, f(x)=x2+mx+m+1f(x) = x^2 + \sqrt{mx} + m + 1. Prove that for any positive real numbers x1,x2,,xnx_1, x_2, \dots, x_n,
f(x1xnn)f(x1)f(x2)f(xn)n, f(\sqrt[n]{x_1 \cdots x_n}) \le \sqrt[n]{f(x_1)f(x_2)\cdots f(x_n)},
and the necessary and sufficient condition for the above equality to hold is x1=x2==xnx_1 = x_2 = \cdots = x_n.

Solution

Since Δ=(m)24(m+1)<0\Delta = (\sqrt{m})^2 - 4(m+1) < 0, we have f(x)>0f(x) > 0.
We use mathematical induction to prove that the statement holds when n=2kn = 2^k.

a. When k=1k=1, n=2n=2. Since
mx1x2(x1x2)2+(m+1)(x1x2)2+m(m+1)(x1x2)20, \sqrt{m}x_1x_2(\sqrt{x_1}-\sqrt{x_2})^2 + (m+1)(x_1-x_2)^2 + \sqrt{m}(m+1)(\sqrt{x_1}-\sqrt{x_2})^2 \ge 0,
we have
(x1x2+mx1x2+m+1)2(x12+mx1+m+1)(x22+mx2+m+1), (x_1x_2 + \sqrt{mx_1x_2} + m + 1)^2 \le (x_1^2 + \sqrt{m}x_1 + m + 1)(x_2^2 + \sqrt{m}x_2 + m + 1),
that is, f(x1x2)f(x1)f(x2)f(\sqrt{x_1x_2}) \le \sqrt{f(x_1)f(x_2)}, and the necessary and sufficient condition for equality to hold is x1=x2x_1 = x_2.

b. Suppose the statement holds for n=2kn = 2^k. Then for n=2k+1n = 2^{k+1},
f(x1x2x2k+12k+1)=f(x1x2x2k2kx2k+1x2k+2x2k+12k)f(x1x2x2k2k)f(x2k+1x2k+2x2k+12k)=f(x1)f(x2)f(x2k+1)2k+1. \begin{align*} & f(\sqrt[2^{k+1}]{x_1x_2\cdots x_{2^{k+1}}}) \\ &= f(\sqrt[2^k]{x_1x_2\cdots x_{2^k}} \sqrt[2^k]{x_{2^k+1}x_{2^k+2}\cdots x_{2^{k+1}}}) \\ &\le \sqrt{f(\sqrt[2^k]{x_1x_2\cdots x_{2^k}}) f(\sqrt[2^k]{x_{2^k+1}x_{2^k+2}\cdots x_{2^{k+1}}})} \\ &= \sqrt[2^{k+1}]{f(x_1)f(x_2)\cdots f(x_{2^{k+1}})}. \end{align*}

For any positive integer nn, there must exist kk such that 2kn<2k+12^k \le n < 2^{k+1}. Let G=x1x2xnnG = \sqrt[n]{x_1x_2\cdots x_n},
then
f(G)=f(x1x2xnGG2k+1)f(x1)f(x2)f(xn)[f(G)]2k+1n2k+1, f(G) = f(\sqrt[2^{k+1}]{x_1 x_2 \cdots x_n\, G \cdots G}) \le \sqrt[2^{k+1}]{f(x_1)f(x_2)\cdots f(x_n)[f(G)]^{2^{k+1}-n}},
that is, [f(G)]nf(x1)f(x2)f(xn)[f(G)]^n \le f(x_1)f(x_2)\cdots f(x_n),
f(x1x2xnn)f(x1)f(x2)f(xn)n. f(\sqrt[n]{x_1x_2\cdots x_n}) \le \sqrt[n]{f(x_1)f(x_2)\cdots f(x_n)}.
The necessary and sufficient condition for equality to hold is x1=x2==xnx_1 = x_2 = \cdots = x_n.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from the original; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.