Prove that for any four positive real numbers a, b, c, d the inequality a+b+c(a−b)(a−c)+b+c+d(b−c)(b−d)+c+d+a(c−d)(c−a)+d+a+b(d−a)(d−b)≥0 holds. Determine all cases of equality.
Solution
Solution 1. Denote the four terms by A=a+b+c(a−b)(a−c),B=b+c+d(b−c)(b−d),C=c+d+a(c−d)(c−a),D=d+a+b(d−a)(d−b). The expression 2A splits into two summands as follows, 2A=A′+A′′ where A′=a+b+c(a−c)2,A′′=a+b+c(a−c)(a−2b+c) this is easily verified. We analogously represent 2B=B′+B′′, 2C=C′+C′′, 2D=D′+D′′ and examine each of the sums A′+B′+C′+D′ and A′′+B′′+C′′+D′′ separately. Write s=a+b+c+d; the denominators become s−d, s−a, s−b, s−c. By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, (s−d∣a−c∣⋅s−d+s−a∣b−d∣⋅s−a+s−b∣c−a∣⋅s−b+s−c∣d−b∣⋅s−c)2≤(s−d(a−c)2+s−a(b−d)2+s−b(c−a)2+s−c(d−b)2)(4s−s)=3s(A′+B′+C′+D′) Hence A′+B′+C′+D′≥3s(2∣a−c∣+2∣b−d∣)2≥3s16⋅∣a−c∣⋅∣b−d∣(1) Next we estimate the absolute value of the other sum. We couple A′′ with C′′ to obtain A′′+C′′=s−d(a−c)(a+c−2b)+s−b(c−a)(c+a−2d)=(s−d)(s−b)(a−c)(a+c−2b)(s−b)+(c−a)(c+a−2d)(s−d)=s(a+c)+bd(a−c)(−2b(s−b)−b(a+c)+2d(s−d)+d(a+c))=M3(a−c)(d−b)(a+c), with M=s(a+c)+bd Hence by cyclic shift B′′+D′′=N3(b−d)(a−c)(b+d), with N=s(b+d)+ca Thus A′′+B′′+C′′+D′′=3(a−c)(b−d)(Nb+d−Ma+c)=MN3(a−c)(b−d)W(2) where W=(b+d)M−(a+c)N=bd(b+d)−ac(a+c)(3) Note that MN>ac(a+c)+bd(b+d)s≥∣W∣⋅s.(4) Now (2) and (4) yield ∣A′′+B′′+C′′+D′′∣≤s3⋅∣a−c∣⋅∣b−d∣.(5) Combined with (1) this results in 2(A+B+C+D)=(A′+B′+C′+D′)+(A′′+B′′+C′′+D′′)≥3s16⋅∣a−c∣⋅∣b−d∣−s3⋅∣a−c∣⋅∣b−d∣=3(a+b+c+d)7⋅∣a−c∣⋅∣b−d∣≥0 This is the required inequality. From the last line we see that equality can be achieved only if either a=c or b=d. Since we also need equality in (1), this implies that actually a=c and b=d must hold simultaneously, which is obviously also a sufficient condition.
Solution 2. We keep the notations A, B, C, D, s, and also M, N, W from the preceding solution; the definitions of M, N, W and relations (3), (4) in that solution did not depend on the foregoing considerations. Starting from 2A=a+b+c(a−c)2+3(a+c)(a−c)−2a+2c, we get 2(A+C)=(a−c)2(s−d1+s−b1)+3(a+c)(a−c)(s−d1−s−b1)=(a−c)2M2s−b−d+3(a+c)(a−c)⋅Md−b=Mp(a−c)2−3(a+c)(a−c)(b−d) where p=2s−b−d=s+a+c. Similarly, writing q=s+b+d we have 2(B+D)=Nq(b−d)2−3(b+d)(b−d)(c−a); specific grouping of terms in the numerators has its aim. Note that pq>2s2. By adding the fractions expressing 2(A+C) and 2(B+D), 2(A+B+C+D)=Mp(a−c)2+MN3(a−c)(b−d)W+Nq(b−d)2 with W defined by (3). Substitution x=(a−c)/M, y=(b−d)/N brings the required inequality to the form 2(A+B+C+D)=Mpx2+3Wxy+Nqy2≥0.(6) It will be enough to verify that the discriminant Δ=9W2−4MNpq of the quadratic trinomial Mpt2+3Wt+Nq is negative; on setting t=x/y one then gets (6). The first inequality in (4) together with pq>2s2 imply 4MNpq>8s3(ac(a+c)+bd(b+d)). Since (a+c)s3>(a+c)4≥4ac(a+c)2 and likewise (b+d)s3>4bd(b+d)2 the estimate continues as follows, 4MNpq>8(4(ac)2(a+c)2+4(bd)2(b+d)2)>32(bd(b+d)−ac(a+c))2=32W2≥9W2. Thus indeed Δ<0. The desired inequality (6) hence results. It becomes an equality if and only if x=y=0; equivalently, if and only if a=c and simultaneously b=d.
Solution 3. (a−b)(a−c)(a+b+d)(a+c+d)(b+c+d)==((a−b)(a+b+d))((a−c)(a+c+d))(b+c+d)==(a2+ad−b2−bd)(a2+ad−c2−cd)(b+c+d)==(a4+2a3d−a2b2−a2bd−a2c2−a2cd+a2d2−ab2d−abd2−ac2d−acd2+b2c2+b2cd+bc2d+bcd2)(b+c+d)=a4b+a4c+a4d+(b3c2+a2d3)−a2c3+(2a3d2−b3a2+c3b2)++(b3cd−c3da−d3ab)+(2a3bd+c3db−d3ac)+(2a3cd−b3da+d3bc)+(−a2b2c+3b2c2d−2ac2d2)+(−2a2b2d+2bc2d2)+(−a2bc2−2a2c2d−2ab2d2+2b2cd2)++(−2a2bcd−ab2cd−abc2d−2abcd2) Introducing the notation Sxyzw=∑cycaxbyczdw, one can write cyc∑(a−b)(a−c)(a+b+d)(a+c+d)(b+c+d)==S4100+S4010+S4001+2S3200−S3020+2S3002−S3110+2S3101+2S3011−3S2120−6S2111=+(S4100+S4001+21S3110+21S3011−3S2120)++(S4010−S3020−23S3110+23S3011+169S2210+169S2201−89S2111)++169(S3200−S2210−S2201+S3002)+1623(S3200−2S3101+S3002)+839(S3101−S2111), where the expressions S4100+S4001+21S3110+21S3011−3S2120=cyc∑(a4b+bc4+21a3bc+21abc3−3a2bc2),S4010−S3020−23S3110+23S3011+169S2210+169S2201−89S2111=cyc∑a2c(a−c−43b+43d)2,S3200−S2210−S2201+S3002=cyc∑b2(a3−a2c−ac2+c3)=cyc∑b2(a+c)(a−c)2,S3200−2S3101+S3002=cyc∑a3(b−d)2 and S3101−S2111=31cyc∑bd(2a3+c3−3a2c) are all nonnegative.
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