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Final Round of National Olympiad

Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Estonia

Let aa, bb and cc be real numbers for which abc=1abc = 1. Prove that
11+a2014+11+b2014+11+c2014>1. \frac{1}{1+a^{2014}} + \frac{1}{1+b^{2014}} + \frac{1}{1+c^{2014}} > 1.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Let a2014=ua^{2014} = u, b2014=vb^{2014} = v and c2014=wc^{2014} = w; then abc=1abc = 1 gives that uvw=1uvw = 1. As the numerators of the l.h.s. of the inequality to be proven are positive, the inequality is equivalent to
(1+v)(1+w)+(1+w)(1+u)+(1+u)(1+v)>(1+u)(1+v)(1+w). (1+v)(1+w) + (1+w)(1+u) + (1+u)(1+v) > (1+u)(1+v)(1+w).

By expanding, simplifying and using uvw=1uvw = 1, we get 1+u+v+w>01 + u + v + w > 0. But this is true, since uu, vv and ww are positive.

Solution 2

Let a2014=ua^{2014} = u, b2014=vb^{2014} = v and c2014=wc^{2014} = w. Then abc=1abc = 1 gives that uvw=1uvw = 1. Therefore there exist positive real numbers xx, yy, zz such that u=xyu = \frac{x}{y}, v=yzv = \frac{y}{z} and w=zxw = \frac{z}{x}.
The inequality can then be written as 11+xy+11+yz+11+zx>1\frac{1}{1+\frac{x}{y}} + \frac{1}{1+\frac{y}{z}} + \frac{1}{1+\frac{z}{x}} > 1 which is equivalent to
yx+y+zy+z+xz+x>1. \frac{y}{x+y} + \frac{z}{y+z} + \frac{x}{z+x} > 1.
But this inequality can be obtained by adding the obvious inequalities yx+y>yx+y+z\frac{y}{x+y} > \frac{y}{x+y+z}, zy+z>zx+y+z\frac{z}{y+z} > \frac{z}{x+y+z} and xz+x>xx+y+z\frac{x}{z+x} > \frac{x}{x+y+z}.

Solution 3

Let a2014=ua^{2014} = u, b2014=vb^{2014} = v and c2014=wc^{2014} = w; then abc=1abc = 1 gives that uvw=1uvw = 1. W.l.o.g., let ww be the greatest of uu, vv, ww. Then w≥1w \ge 1, because otherwise uu, vv, ww would all be less than 11 and their product could not be 11. Thus uv≤1uv \le 1. Now
11+u+11+v−1=(1+v)+(1+u)−(1+u)(1+v)(1+u)(1+v)=1−uv(1+u)(1+v)≥0. \frac{1}{1+u} + \frac{1}{1+v} - 1 = \frac{(1+v) + (1+u) - (1+u)(1+v)}{(1+u)(1+v)} = \frac{1-uv}{(1+u)(1+v)} \ge 0.
Thus 11+u+11+v≥1\frac{1}{1+u} + \frac{1}{1+v} \ge 1, from which the desired inequality can be concluded.

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