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Problem 2215

National Olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Algebra Difficulty 7.6 Prove it Team Selection Test for IMO · Turkey

Find the minimum of
1+a+b+c3+2a+b−cb \frac{1+a+b+c}{3+2a+b} - \frac{c}{b}
where aa, bb, cc are real numbers such that all roots of the equation x3−ax2+bx−c=0x^3 - a x^2 + b x - c = 0 are real positive numbers.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

We prove that the minimum is 13\frac{1}{3}.
Let xi>0x_i > 0 for i=1,2,3i = 1, 2, 3 be the roots of the equation x3−ax2+bx−c=0x^3 - a x^2 + b x - c = 0. By Vieta's theorem
x1+x2+x3=a,x1x2+x2x3+x1x3=b,x1x2x3=c. x_1 + x_2 + x_3 = a, \quad x_1 x_2 + x_2 x_3 + x_1 x_3 = b, \quad x_1 x_2 x_3 = c.
Then
A=1+a+b+c−c3+2a+b=1b=x1x2x3x1x2+x2x3+x1x3=11x1+1+1x2+1+1x3+1=1x1(x1+1)+1x2(x2+1)+1x3(x3+1)(1x1+1x2+1x3)(1x1+1+1x2+1+1x3+1) A = \frac{1 + a + b + c - c}{3 + 2a + b} = \frac{1}{b} = \frac{x_1 x_2 x_3}{x_1 x_2 + x_2 x_3 + x_1 x_3} = \frac{1}{\frac{1}{x_1 + 1} + \frac{1}{x_2 + 1} + \frac{1}{x_3 + 1}} = \frac{\frac{1}{x_1(x_1 + 1)} + \frac{1}{x_2(x_2 + 1)} + \frac{1}{x_3(x_3 + 1)}}{\left(\frac{1}{x_1} + \frac{1}{x_2} + \frac{1}{x_3}\right)\left(\frac{1}{x_1 + 1} + \frac{1}{x_2 + 1} + \frac{1}{x_3 + 1}\right)}
Without loss of generality we can assume that 0<x1≤x2≤x30 < x_1 \le x_2 \le x_3. Then
1x1≥1x2≥1x3>0 and 1x1+1≥1x2+1≥1x3+1>0. By Chebyshev’s inequality \frac{1}{x_1} \ge \frac{1}{x_2} \ge \frac{1}{x_3} > 0 \text{ and } \frac{1}{x_1 + 1} \ge \frac{1}{x_2 + 1} \ge \frac{1}{x_3 + 1} > 0. \text{ By Chebyshev's inequality}
Therefore, A≥3A \ge 3. The minimum 1/31/3 of AA is reached for x1=x2=x3=t>0x_1 = x_2 = x_3 = t > 0 or a=3t,b=3t2,c=t3a = 3t, b = 3t^2, c = t^3.

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