Example 3 Let a,b,c be positive real numbers, and a+b+c=3. Prove: a21+b21+c21⩾a2+b2+c2. (2006, Romanian National Training Team Problem)
Solution
Let S=a21−a2+b21−b2+c21−c2. If we can find that the minimum value of S is 0, then the conclusion is proven. Let a⩽b⩽c, and for any given c=c0(1⩽c0⩽3). Then b+a=3−c0. Let x=b−a⩾0. Then b=23−c0+x,a=23−c0−x. Substituting into S we get S=(3−c0−x)24−4(3−c0−x)2+(3−c0+x)24−4(3−c0+x)2+c021−c02.
Differentiating with respect to x we get S′(x)====(3−c0−x)3−2×4(−1)−41×2(3−c0−x)(−1)+4(−2)(3−c0+x)31−41×2(3−c0+x)(3−c0−x)38−(3−c0+x)38−xa31−b31−(b−a)(b−a)a3b3a2+ab+b2−a3b3.
Since c0⩾1, we have a+b⩽2⇒ab⩽(2a+b)2⩽1. Thus, ab−a3b3⩾0, and b−a⩾0. Therefore, S′(x)⩾0. S is an increasing function of x, so for a given c0, the minimum value of S is always achieved when x=0(b=a=23−c0). Substituting into equation (1) we get S=c0−2−c02+8(3−c0)−2−21(3−c0)2.
Differentiating with respect to c0 we get S′(c0)=−2c0−3−2c0+8(−2)(3−c0)−3(−1)−21×2(3−c0)(−1) =2[(23−c0)31−c031]+3−3c0=(3c0−3)c03(23−c0)3c02+c0⋅23−c0+(23−c0)2−c03(23−c0)3.
It is easy to prove: 1−c02(23−c0)2⩾−2(⇔c0⋅23−c0⩽3. And c0⋅23−c0=2⋅2c0(23−2c0)⩽2(43)2=89<3 holds). Thus, S′(c0) ⩾(3c0−3)c03(23−c0)3c02−2c0⋅23−c0+(23−c0)2=(3c0−3)c03⋅(23−c0)3(c0−23−c0)2⩾0.
This shows that S is an increasing function of c0. Since 1⩽c0⩽3, when c0=1 (i.e., b=a=23−1=1), Smin =121−12+121−12+121−12=0. Therefore, S⩾0, and the original statement is proven.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: NuminaMath-1.5,
licensed Apache-2.0.
Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.