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Algebra Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it Turkey

Let (x,y,z)(x, y, z) be a triple of positive real numbers satisfying
xyz=1andyz(yx2)+zx(zy2)+xy(xz2)=0, xyz = 1 \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{y}{z}(y-x^2) + \frac{z}{x}(z-y^2) + \frac{x}{y}(x-z^2) = 0,
and t1,t2t_1, t_2 and t3t_3 be the smallest, the median and the largest of x,y,zx, y, z, respectively. Find the smallest possible value of
t1+t3t2. \frac{t_1 + t_3}{t_2}.

Solution

Answer: 52565\frac{5}{\sqrt[5]{256}}.
Let x2y=a\frac{x^2}{y} = a, y2z=b\frac{y^2}{z} = b and z2x=c\frac{z^2}{x} = c. The problem conditions in this new variables take the following form
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abc=1,a+b+c=ab+bc+ca. abc = 1, \quad a+b+c = ab+bc+ca.
Now we readily get (a1)(b1)(c1)=0(a-1)(b-1)(c-1) = 0. Therefore, at least one of the numbers a,b,ca, b, c should be equal to 11. Without loss of generality we assume that a=1a=1. Then y=x2y = x^2 and z=1x3z = \frac{1}{x^3}.
If 0<x10 < x \le 1 then x2x1x3x^2 \le x \le \frac{1}{x^3} and if x>1x > 1 then 1x3<x<x2\frac{1}{x^3} < x < x^2. Hence in all cases xx is a median: t2=xt_2 = x. Finally by AM-GM inequality we get
x2+1x3x=x+1x4=x4+x4+x4+x4+1x451445. \frac{x^2 + \frac{1}{x^3}}{x} = x + \frac{1}{x^4} = \frac{x}{4} + \frac{x}{4} + \frac{x}{4} + \frac{x}{4} + \frac{1}{x^4} \ge 5\sqrt[5]{\frac{1}{4^4}}.
The equality holds when x4=1x4\frac{x}{4} = \frac{1}{x^4} or x=45x = \sqrt[5]{4}. In this case y=x2=165y = x^2 = \sqrt[5]{16} and z=1x3=1645z = \frac{1}{x^3} = \frac{1}{\sqrt[5]{64}}. Thus, t1+t3t2\frac{t_1+t_3}{t_2} takes its smallest value 52565\frac{5}{\sqrt[5]{256}} at x=45x = \sqrt[5]{4}, y=165y = \sqrt[5]{16}, and z=1645z = \frac{1}{\sqrt[5]{64}}. Done.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.