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Algebra Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it

30. Given that a,b,c,da, b, c, d are positive numbers, and abcda \leqslant b \leqslant c \leqslant d, prove: abbbcddabacbddada^{b} b^{b} c^{d} d^{a} \geqslant b^{a} c^{b} d^{d} a^{d}.

Solution

30. Let the substitution b=ax,c=ay,d=azb=a x, c=a y, d=a z, then by the conditions of the problem, we have 1xyz1 \leqslant x \leqslant y \leqslant z. The inequality in the problem is
aax(ax)ay(ay)az(az)a(ax)a(ay)ax(az)ayaaza^{a x}(a x)^{a y}(a y)^{a z}(a z)^{a} \geqslant(a x)^{a}(a y)^{a x}(a z)^{a y} a^{a z}

After canceling aaaaxaayaaza^{a} a^{a x} a^{a y} a^{a z}, and taking the 1a\frac{1}{a} power on both sides of the inequality, we get the equivalent inequality xyyzzxyxzx^{y} y^{z} z \geqslant x y^{x} z^{\prime}

Let y=xs,z=xty=x s, z=x t, then by xyzx \leqslant y \leqslant z, we get 1st1 \leqslant s \leqslant t. And since x1x \geqslant 1, we have ysy \geqslant s. Thus, the above inequality becomes
xnsyntxtxy(xt)nx^{n s} y^{n t} x t \geqslant x y^{*}(x t)^{n}

After canceling x18yxxtx^{18} y^{x} x t, and taking the 1x\frac{1}{x} power on both sides of the inequality, we get the equivalent inequality yt1y^{t-1} \geqslant tx1xt^{\frac{x-1}{x}}

If y=1y=1, then since x=1,s=yx=1,yt1=1=t11=1x=1, s=\frac{y}{x}=1, y^{t-1}=1=t^{1-1}=1, the inequality holds. If t=1t=1, then since yt1=y0=1=1t1x=1y^{t-1}=y^{0}=1=1^{\frac{t-1}{x}}=1, the inequality holds.
If y>1,t>1y>1, t>1, then taking the 1t1yy1(>0)\frac{1}{t-1} \cdot \frac{y}{y-1}(>0) power on both sides of the above inequality, we get the equivalent inequality
y1n1t1t1(1st,sy)y^{\frac{1}{n-1}} \geqslant t^{\frac{1}{t-1}}(1 \leqslant s \leqslant t, s \leqslant y)

We will prove this inequality in two cases.
(1) Suppose yty \geqslant t. Then when x>1x>1, the function f(x)=xxx1f(x)=x^{\frac{x}{x-1}} is a monotonically increasing function. This can be proven by showing its derivative f(x)>0f^{\prime}(x)>0.

Indeed,
f(x)=(exx1lnx)=exx1lnx(1x1lnx(x1)2)=xx111(x1)2(x1lnx)>0\begin{array}{c} f^{\prime}(x)=\left(e^{\frac{x}{x-1} \ln x}\right)^{\prime}=e^{\frac{x}{x-1} \ln x}\left(\frac{1}{x-1}-\frac{\ln x}{(x-1)^{2}}\right)= \\ x^{\frac{x}{1-1}} \frac{1}{(x-1)^{2}}(x-1-\ln x)>0 \end{array}

The last inequality can be derived from the inequality x1lnx>0x-1-\ln x>0, which is because the function g(x)=xg(x)=x- 1lnx1-\ln x is an increasing function on (Γ,+)(\Gamma,+\infty). This can be derived from g(x)=11x>0g^{\prime}(x)=1-\frac{1}{x}>0 and g(1)=0g(1)=0.

Since f(x)=xxx1f(x)=x^{\frac{x}{x-1}} is an increasing function on (F,+)(\mathrm{F},+\infty), we have yyy1=f(y)f(t)=t1tiy^{\frac{y}{y-1}}=f(y) \geqslant f(t)=t^{\frac{1}{t-i}} \geqslant t111t^{\frac{1}{1-1}}.
(2) Suppose y1y1 when the function f(x)=x1x1f(x)=x^{\frac{1}{x-1}} is a monotonically decreasing function. This can be proven by showing its derivative f(x)<0f^{\prime}(x)<0.

Indeed, f(x)=(e1x1lnx)=e1x1lnx(1x(x1)lnx(x1)2)=x1x11x(x1)2f^{\prime}(x)=\left(e^{\frac{1}{x-1} \ln x}\right)^{\prime}=e^{\frac{1}{x-1} \ln x}\left(\frac{1}{x(x-1)}-\frac{\ln x}{(x-1)^{2}}\right)=x^{\frac{1}{x-1}} \frac{1}{x(x-1)^{2}} (x1xlnx)<0(x-1-x \ln x)<0.

The last inequality can be derived from the inequality x1xlnx<0x-1-x \ln x<0, which is because the function g(x)=xg(x)=x- 1xlnx1-x \ln x is a decreasing function on (1,+)(1,+\infty). This can be derived from g(x)=1lnx1=lnx<0g^{\prime}(x)=1-\ln x-1=-\ln x<0 and g(1)=0g(1)=0.

Since f(x)=x1x1f(x)=x^{\frac{1}{x-1}} is a decreasing function on (1,+)(1,+\infty), we have yyy1=(f(y))yy^{\frac{y}{y-1}}=(f(y))^{y} \geqslant (f(t))y=t1t1t111(f(t))^{y}=t^{\frac{1}{t-1}} \geqslant t^{\frac{1}{1-1}}.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.