Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /518 of 520

Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it

Example 3 Let a,b,ca, b, c be positive real numbers, and a+b+c=3a+b+c=3. Prove:
1a2+1b2+1c2a2+b2+c2 \frac{1}{a^{2}}+\frac{1}{b^{2}}+\frac{1}{c^{2}} \geqslant a^{2}+b^{2}+c^{2} \text {. }
(2006, Romanian National Training Team Problem)

Solution

Let S=1a2a2+1b2b2+1c2c2S=\frac{1}{a^{2}}-a^{2}+\frac{1}{b^{2}}-b^{2}+\frac{1}{c^{2}}-c^{2}. If we can find that the minimum value of SS is 0, then the conclusion is proven.
Let abca \leqslant b \leqslant c, and for any given c=c0(1c03)c=c_{0}\left(1 \leqslant c_{0} \leqslant 3\right). Then b+a=3c0b+a=3-c_{0}.
Let x=ba0x=b-a \geqslant 0. Then
b=3c0+x2,a=3c0x2b=\frac{3-c_{0}+x}{2}, a=\frac{3-c_{0}-x}{2}.
Substituting into SS we get
S=4(3c0x)2(3c0x)24+4(3c0+x)2(3c0+x)24+1c02c02. \begin{aligned} S= & \frac{4}{\left(3-c_{0}-x\right)^{2}}-\frac{\left(3-c_{0}-x\right)^{2}}{4}+\frac{4}{\left(3-c_{0}+x\right)^{2}}- \\ & \frac{\left(3-c_{0}+x\right)^{2}}{4}+\frac{1}{c_{0}^{2}}-c_{0}^{2} . \end{aligned}

Differentiating with respect to xx we get
S(x)=2×4(1)(3c0x)314×2(3c0x)(1)+4(2)1(3c0+x)314×2(3c0+x)=8(3c0x)38(3c0+x)3x=1a31b3(ba)=(ba)a2+ab+b2a3b3a3b3. \begin{aligned} S^{\prime}(x) & =\frac{-2 \times 4(-1)}{\left(3-c_{0}-x\right)^{3}}-\frac{1}{4} \times 2\left(3-c_{0}-x\right)(-1)+ \\ & 4(-2) \frac{1}{\left(3-c_{0}+x\right)^{3}}-\frac{1}{4} \times 2\left(3-c_{0}+x\right) \\ = & \frac{8}{\left(3-c_{0}-x\right)^{3}}-\frac{8}{\left(3-c_{0}+x\right)^{3}}-x \\ = & \frac{1}{a^{3}}-\frac{1}{b^{3}}-(b-a) \\ = & (b-a) \frac{a^{2}+a b+b^{2}-a^{3} b^{3}}{a^{3} b^{3}} . \end{aligned}

Since c01c_{0} \geqslant 1, we have
a+b2ab(a+b2)21a+b \leqslant 2 \Rightarrow a b \leqslant\left(\frac{a+b}{2}\right)^{2} \leqslant 1.
Thus, aba3b30a b-a^{3} b^{3} \geqslant 0, and ba0b-a \geqslant 0.
Therefore, S(x)0S^{\prime}(x) \geqslant 0.
SS is an increasing function of xx, so for a given c0c_{0}, the minimum value of SS is always achieved when x=0(b=a=3c02)x=0\left(b=a=\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right).
Substituting into equation (1) we get
S=c02c02+8(3c0)212(3c0)2 S=c_{0}^{-2}-c_{0}^{2}+8\left(3-c_{0}\right)^{-2}-\frac{1}{2}\left(3-c_{0}\right)^{2} \text {. }

Differentiating with respect to c0c_{0} we get
S(c0)=2c032c0+8(2)(3c0)3(1)12×2(3c0)(1) \begin{aligned} S^{\prime}\left(c_{0}\right)= & -2 c_{0}^{-3}-2 c_{0}+8(-2)\left(3-c_{0}\right)^{-3}(-1)- \\ & \frac{1}{2} \times 2\left(3-c_{0}\right)(-1) \end{aligned}
=2[1(3c02)31c03]+33c0=(3c03)c02+c03c02+(3c02)2c03(3c02)3c03(3c02)3. \begin{array}{l} =2\left[\frac{1}{\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{3}}-\frac{1}{c_{0}^{3}}\right]+3-3 c_{0} \\ =\left(3 c_{0}-3\right) \frac{c_{0}^{2}+c_{0} \cdot \frac{3-c_{0}}{2}+\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{2}-c_{0}^{3}\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{3}}{c_{0}^{3}\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{3}} . \end{array}

It is easy to prove: 1c02(3c02)22(c03c021-c_{0}^{2}\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{2} \geqslant-2\left(\Leftrightarrow c_{0} \cdot \frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right. 3\leqslant \sqrt{3}. And c03c02=2c02(32c02)2(34)2c_{0} \cdot \frac{3-c_{0}}{2}=2 \cdot \frac{c_{0}}{2}\left(\frac{3}{2}-\frac{c_{0}}{2}\right) \leqslant 2\left(\frac{3}{4}\right)^{2} =98<3=\frac{9}{8}<\sqrt{3} holds).
Thus, S(c0)S^{\prime}\left(c_{0}\right)
(3c03)c022c03c02+(3c02)2c03(3c02)3=(3c03)(c03c02)2c03(3c02)30. \begin{array}{l} \geqslant\left(3 c_{0}-3\right) \frac{c_{0}^{2}-2 c_{0} \cdot \frac{3-c_{0}}{2}+\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{2}}{c_{0}^{3}\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{3}} \\ =\left(3 c_{0}-3\right) \frac{\left(c_{0}-\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{2}}{c_{0}^{3} \cdot\left(\frac{3-c_{0}}{2}\right)^{3}} \geqslant 0 . \end{array}

This shows that SS is an increasing function of c0c_{0}.
Since 1c031 \leqslant c_{0} \leqslant 3, when c0=1c_{0}=1 (i.e., b=a=312=1b=a=\frac{3-1}{2}=1), Smin =11212+11212+11212=0S_{\text {min }}=\frac{1}{1^{2}}-1^{2}+\frac{1}{1^{2}}-1^{2}+\frac{1}{1^{2}}-1^{2}=0. Therefore, S0S \geqslant 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.