Given m≥0, f(x)=x2+mx+m+1. Prove that for any positive real numbers x1,x2,…,xn, f(nx1⋯xn)≤nf(x1)f(x2)⋯f(xn), and the necessary and sufficient condition for the above equality to hold is x1=x2=⋯=xn.
Solution
Since Δ=(m)2−4(m+1)<0, we have f(x)>0. We use mathematical induction to prove that the statement holds when n=2k.
a. When k=1, n=2. Since mx1x2(x1−x2)2+(m+1)(x1−x2)2+m(m+1)(x1−x2)2≥0, we have (x1x2+mx1x2+m+1)2≤(x12+mx1+m+1)(x22+mx2+m+1), that is, f(x1x2)≤f(x1)f(x2), and the necessary and sufficient condition for equality to hold is x1=x2.
b. Suppose the statement holds for n=2k. Then for n=2k+1, f(2k+1x1x2⋯x2k+1)=f(2kx1x2⋯x2k2kx2k+1x2k+2⋯x2k+1)≤f(2kx1x2⋯x2k)f(2kx2k+1x2k+2⋯x2k+1)=2k+1f(x1)f(x2)⋯f(x2k+1).
For any positive integer n, there must exist k such that 2k≤n<2k+1. Let G=nx1x2⋯xn, then f(G)=f(2k+1x1x2⋯xnG⋯G)≤2k+1f(x1)f(x2)⋯f(xn)[f(G)]2k+1−n, that is, [f(G)]n≤f(x1)f(x2)⋯f(xn), f(nx1x2⋯xn)≤nf(x1)f(x2)⋯f(xn). The necessary and sufficient condition for equality to hold is x1=x2=⋯=xn.
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