Determine all pairs of real numbers (m,c) such that for all x≥0 mx+c≤x3.
Solution
Suppose (m,c) is an allowable pair. Since the inequality must hold when x=0, we see immediately that c cannot be positive. Moreover, m≤xx3−c,∀x>0, and so, if c=0, then m≤0. Otherwise, c<0, and so, by the AM-GM inequality, xx3−c=x2+x(−c)=x2+2x(−c)+2x(−c)≥33x22x(−c)2x(−c)=334c2, with equality iff x2=2x−c, i.e. c=−2x3. Hence, using this value of x we obtain, m≤xx3−c=3x2 Thus, we have shown that either (i) c=0 and m≤0, or (ii) c=−2x3 for some x>0, and m≤3x2.
Conversely, suppose m≤3s2, c=−2s3 for some s≥0. Then for all x≥0 mx+c≤3s2x−2s3. But 3s2x−2s3≤x3 is equivalent to 0≤x3−3s2x+2s3=(x−s)(x2+sx−2s2)=(x−s)2(x+2s), which is true for all x≥0. It follows that {(m,c):c=−2s3,m≤3s2, for some s≥0}={(m,c):c≤0,27c2−4m3≥0} is the set of allowable pairs.
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