Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 59 of 400 #1059 of 1964

Problem 1059

National Olympiad, first round
Algebra Difficulty 6.0 Prove it Taiwan IMO Selection Camp · Taiwan

Let a,b,ca, b, c be arbitrary real numbers such that a+b+c=0a + b + c = 0. Prove that:
33a2a33a2+1+33b2b33b2+1+33c2c33c2+10. \frac{33a^2 - a}{33a^2 + 1} + \frac{33b^2 - b}{33b^2 + 1} + \frac{33c^2 - c}{33c^2 + 1} \ge 0.

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

Notice the original inequality is equivalent to
cyc(33a2a33a2+1+t)3t(1) \sum_{cyc} \left( \frac{33a^2 - a}{33a^2 + 1} + t \right) \ge 3t \quad (1)
We want to try to make every term on the left hand side non negative, so we need to choose a tt such that the numerator of (33a2a33a2+1+t)\left(\frac{33a^2-a}{33a^2+1}+t\right) is always positive.
Hence we want
(33a2a33a2+1+t)=(1+t)33a2a+t33a2+1=(33(1+t)at)233a2+1(2) \left( \frac{33a^2 - a}{33a^2 + 1} + t \right) = \frac{(1+t)33a^2 - a + t}{33a^2 + 1} = \frac{\left(\sqrt{33(1+t)}a - \sqrt{t}\right)^2}{33a^2 + 1} \quad (2)
to hold. Compare the coefficients and we need
1=233t1+t    t=12+1766>0. 1 = 2\sqrt{33t}\sqrt{1+t} \implies t = \frac{-1}{2} + \sqrt{\frac{17}{66}} > 0.
This number itself isn't really important, we just need to prove that it exists and 0t10 \le t \le 1. For simplicity we will keep on using tt to denote 12+1766\frac{-1}{2} + \sqrt{\frac{17}{66}}. Now we need to proof Eq. (1) holds, using the formula Eq. (2) we will get the original problem is equivalent to the following inequality
cyc(33(1+t)at)233a2+13t. \sum_{cyc} \frac{(\sqrt{33(1+t)}a - \sqrt{t})^2}{33a^2 + 1} \ge 3t.
The denominator is annoying to deal with, so we want to try to make it simpler using our condition, that is
a2=(0bc)2=(b+c)22b2+2c2    3a2=a2+2a22(a2+b2+c2). a^2 = (0-b-c)^2 = (b+c)^2 \le 2b^2+2c^2 \implies 3a^2 = a^2+2a^2 \le 2(a^2+b^2+c^2).
Similarly
3b22(a2+b2+c2),3c22(a2+b2+c2) 3b^2 \le 2(a^2 + b^2 + c^2), \quad 3c^2 \le 2(a^2 + b^2 + c^2)
also holds. Therefore we have
cyc(33(1+t)at)233a2+1cyc(33(1+t)at)222(a2+b2+c2)+1=cyc(33(1+t)at)222(a2+b2+c2)+1=cyc(33(1+t)a2)+3t22(a2+b2+c2)+1 \begin{align*} \sum_{cyc} \frac{(\sqrt{33(1+t)}a - \sqrt{t})^2}{33a^2 + 1} &\ge \sum_{cyc} \frac{(\sqrt{33(1+t)}a - \sqrt{t})^2}{22(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) + 1} \\ &= \frac{\sum_{cyc} (\sqrt{33(1+t)}a - \sqrt{t})^2}{22(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) + 1} \\ &= \frac{\sum_{cyc} (33(1+t)a^2) + 3t}{22(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) + 1} \end{align*}
Finally we need to prove it is greater than 3t3t, which is just
cyc(33(1+t)a2)+3t22(a2+b2+c2)+13t33(1+t)(a2+b2+c2)22(a2+b2+c2)3t \frac{\sum_{cyc} (33(1+t)a^2) + 3t}{22(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) + 1} \ge 3t \Leftrightarrow 33(1+t)(a^2 + b^2 + c^2) \ge 22(a^2 + b^2 + c^2)3t
Which holds if and only if t1t \le 1, therefore we proved the inequality.

Another Solution: If a,b,c1a, b, c \ge -1, then
33a2a33a2+1a33a2a33a3a33a3+33a2033a2(a+1)0, \begin{aligned} \frac{33a^2 - a}{33a^2 + 1} &\ge -a \\ \Leftrightarrow 33a^2 - a &\ge -33a^3 - a \\ \Leftrightarrow 33a^3 + 33a^2 &\ge 0 \\ \Leftrightarrow 33a^2(a + 1) &\ge 0, \end{aligned}
which is true for a,b,ca, b, c. Therefore
cyc33a2a33a2+1cyc(a)=0. \sum_{cyc} \frac{33a^2 - a}{33a^2 + 1} \ge \sum_{cyc} (-a) = 0.
Now if one of a,b,ca, b, c is smaller than (1)(-1), suppose that a<1a < -1. The inequality that we want to prove is equivalent to
cyca+133a2+13. \sum_{cyc} \frac{a+1}{33a^2+1} \le 3.
For any xRx \in \mathbb{R}, if
k=x+133x2+1, k = \frac{x+1}{33x^2+1},
then 33kx2x+(k1)=033kx^2 - x + (k-1) = 0. Therefore the determinant
Δ=1132k(k1)0. \Delta = 1 - 132k(k-1) \ge 0.
This implies that
132k2132k10, 132k^2 - 132k - 1 \le 0,
and so
k1+1+1332<32. k \le \frac{1 + \sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{33}}}{2} < \frac{3}{2}.
Therefore,
a+133a2+1+b+133b2+1+c+133c2+1<0+32+32=3. \frac{a+1}{33a^2+1} + \frac{b+1}{33b^2+1} + \frac{c+1}{33c^2+1} < 0 + \frac{3}{2} + \frac{3}{2} = 3.
In conclusion, the inequality holds in both case, and so we are done.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from the original; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.