Solutions to some Inequality problems

Lecture II, UL 2007

Finbarr Holland,
Department of Mathematics,
University College Cork,
[email protected];
July 12, 2007

1 Solution of Exercise 6
Theorem 1. Suppose a, b, c > 0. Then
√3
3 abc = min{ax + by + cz : 0 < x, y, z, xyz = 1}.

Proof. By the AM-GM inequality, if 0 < x, y, z and xyz = 1, then

√
3
p
3 abc = 3 3 (ax)(by)(cz) ≤ ax + by + cz,

with equality iff √

3
ax = by = cz = abc.
More generally, a similar proof shows that

Theorem 2. Suppose ai > 0, i = 1, 2, . . . , n. Then

Xn
√
n a1 a2 · · · an = min{
n
ai xi : 0 < xi , x1 x2 · · · xn = 1}.
i=1

2 Solution of Exercise 8
Problem. Suppose a, b, c > 0. Prove that
a+b a+b+c
a + g2 (a, b) + g3 (a, b, c) ≤ 3g3 (a, , ),
2 3
with equality iff a = b = c.

1
Solution. We’ll utilise Exercise 6.,pwhich we’ve
p just established.
Let x, y, z > 0, xyz = 1. Let p = 3 x2 y, q = 3 yz 2 . Then pq = 1 and so
√ √3
2 ab ≤ pa + qb, 3 abc ≤ xa + yb + zc,
whence
√ √
3
a+ ab + abc ≤ a + (pa + qb)/2 + (xa + yb + zc)/3
= (1 + p/2 + x/3)a + (q/2 + y/3)b + (z/3)c
≤ (x + y/2 + z/3)a + (y/2 + z/3)b + cz/3
= xa + y(a + b)/2 + z(a + b + c)/3
provided
1 + p/2 + x/3 ≤ x + y/2 + z/3, q/2 + y/3 ≤ y/2 + z/3.
Now
p
1 + p/2 + x/3 ≤ (x + y + z)/3 + 3 x2 y/2 + x/3
2x + y + z + x + y/2
≤
3
3y/2 + z
= x+
3
= x + y/2 + z/3,
with equality iff x = y = z = 1. Also,
p
3
q/2 + y/3 = yz 2 /2 + y/3
y/2 + z + y
≤
3
= y/2 + z/3,
with equality iff y = z. It follows that
√ √3 a+b a+b+c a+b a+b+c
a+ ab+ abc ≤ min{xa+y( )+z( ) : x, y, z > 0, xyz = 1} = 3g3 (a, , ).
2 3 2 3
A slicker approach is to use the super-additivity property of the geometric means.
Indeed, since
g2 (a, b) = g3 (a, g2 (a, b), b),
we have
a + g2 (a, b) + g3 (a, b, c) = g3 (a, a, a) + g3 (a, g2 (a, b), b) + g3 (a, b, c)
≤ g3 (a + a + a, a + g2 (a, b) + b, a + b + c)
3(a + b)
≤ g3 (3a, , a + b + c0
r 2
3 3(a + b) 3(a + b + c)
= (3a)( )
2 3
a+b a+b+c
= 3g3 (a, , ).
2 3
2
In arriving at this result we’ve used the fact that
a+b
g2 (a, b) ≤
2
and the fact that g3 is an increasing function of each of its arguments.
Remark You should examine the case of equality.
As a consequence, we have that
3
a + g2 (a, b) + g3 (a, b, c) ≤ √
3
(a + b + c).
3!
More generally, show that if ai > 0, i = 1, 2, . . . , n, and
√
bk = k a1 a2 · · · ak , k = 1, 2, . . . , n,
then n n
X n X
bk ≤ √
n
ak .
k=1
n! k=1

3 Solution of Exercise 9
Problem. Suppose a, b, c > 0. Prove that
a+b a+b+c
a + h2 (a, b) + h3 (a, b, c) ≤ 3h3 (a, , ),
2 3
with equality iff a = b = c.
A similar strategy to that used in the previous problem can be employed to deal
with this by using Theorem 7.
Proof. Suppose x, y, z > 0, x + y + z = 1. Choose p = x + y/2, q = y/2 + z.
Consider a + 2(p2 a + q 2 b) + 3(x2 a + y 2 b + z 2 c). I claim that this is dominated by
9[x2 a + y 2 (a + b)/2 + z 2 (a + b + c)/3]. This is the case provided that
1 + 2p2 + 3x2 ≤ 9(x2 + y 2 /2 + z 2 /3), 2q 2 + 3y 2 ≤ 9(y 2 /2 + z 2 /3).
Now 1 ≤ 3(x2 + y 2 + z 2 ). Hence
1 + 2p2 + 3x2 ≤ 6x2 + 3y 2 + 3z 2 + 2(x + y/2)2
= 8x2 + 7y 2 /2 + 2xy + 3z 2
≤ 9x2 + 9y 2 /2 + 3z 2
= 9(x2 + y 2 /2 + z 2 /3)
with equality iff x = y = z = 1/3. Also
2q 2 + 3y 2 = 2(y/2 + z)2 + 3y 2
= 7y 2 /2 + 2yz + 2z 2
≤ 9y 2 /2 + 3z 2

3
with equality iff y = z. Since p + q = 1, we have that
2 3
a+ 1 1 + 1 ≤ a + 2(p2 a + q 2 b) + 3(x2 a + y 2 b + z 2 c)
a
+ b a
+ 1b + 1
c
= (1 + 2p2 + 3x2 )a + (2q 2 + 3y 2 )b + 3z 2 c
≤ 9(x2 + y 2 /2 + z 2 /3)a + (y 2 /2 + z 2 /3)b + z 3 c/3)
= 9[x2 a + y 2 (a + b)/2 + z 2 (a + b + c)/3],

whence
2 3
a+ 1 1 + 1
a
+ b a
+ 1b + 1
c
is not bigger than any element in the set

{9[x2 a + y 2 (a + b)/2 + z 2 (a + b + c)/3] : x + y + z = 1},

whose minimum, by Theorem 7, is

9
1 2 3 .
a
+ a+b
+ a+b+c

This completes the solution.

Exercise 1. Establish Exercise 9 by using the additivity property of the harmonic

means.

Since a < a + b < a + b + c, we have that

9 3
1 2 3 < (a + b + c).
a
+ a+b
+ a+b+c
2

Hence, we can infer from this problem that

3
a + h2 (a, b) + h3 (a, b, c) < (a + b + c).
2

4 Solution of Problem 10
Problem. Suppose a, b, c, d > 0. Prove that

ab cd (a + c)(b + d)
+ < .
a+b+1 c+d+1 a+b+c+d+1
This is one of the Monthly problems posted on the University of Purdue site. It was
drawn to my attention by Prithwijit De.
Solution. With
xy
f (x, y) = , x, y ≥ 0,
x+y+1

4
what we want to show is that

f (a, b) + f (c, d) < f (a + c, b + d),

i.e., that f is super-additive. By Corollary 3, Section 6,

ab cd 1 1
+ = 1 1 1 + 1 1 1
a+b+1 c+d+1 a
+ +
b ab c
+ d
+ cd
1
≤ 1 1 1
a+c
+ +
b+d ab+cd
1
< 1 1 1
a+c
+ b+d + (a+c)(b+d
(a + c)(b + d)
= ,
a+b+c+d+1
since
1 1
ab + cd < (a + c)(b + d), >
ab + cd (a + c)(b + d)
1
and, for s ≥ 0, t → s + t
is a strictly increasing function of t > 0.

5 Solution of Exercise 11
Problem (Carlson, 1971). Suppose x, y, z ≥ 0. Then
√ √ √ r
xy + yz + zx x+y y+z z+x
≤ 3 ,
3 2 2 2
with equality iff x = y = z.

Solution. Replace x, y, z by a2 , b2 , c2 , and put t = a2 + b2 + c2 . Then we have to

prove that
8
(ab + bc + ca)3 ≤ (t − a2 )(t − b2 )(t − c2 )
27
= t3 − t2 (a2 + b2 + c2 ) + t(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ) − a2 b2 c2
= (a2 + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ) − a2 b2 c2 ,

i.e., the stated inequality is equivalent to the following one:

8
(ab + bc + ca)3 + a2 b2 c2 ≤ (a2 + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ),
27
OR
8 √ √ √
( xy + yz + zx)3 + xyz ≤ (x + y + z)(xy + yz + zx),
27
with equality iff x = y = z.

5
Now
√
3
p
a2 b2 c2 = a2 b2 c2 3 (a2 b2 )(b2 c2 )(c2 a2 )
a2 + b2 + c2 a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2
≤
3 3
1 2
= (a + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ),
9
and there is equality iff a2 = b2 = c2 . Next
√ √
ab + bc + ca ≤ a2 + b2 + c2 , ab + bc + ca ≤ a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 3,

with equality in both iff a = b = c. Hence

(ab + bc + ca)3 ≤ 3(a2 + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ),

with equality iff a = b = c.

Combining these results we deduce that
8 8 2 1
(ab + bc + ca)3 + a2 b2 c2 ≤ (a + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ) + (a2 + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 )
27 9 9
= (a2 + b2 + c2 )(a2 b2 + b2 c2 + c2 a2 ),

with equality iff a = b = c. The result follows.

By analogy, one is tempted to suggest that the following statement is true.

Problem. Suppose x, y, z ≥ 0. Then

h2 (x, y) + h2 (y, z) + h2 (z, x) x+y y+z z+x

≤ h3 ( , , ),
3 2 2 2
with equality iff x = y = z.

6 IMO 1988, Problem 4

Problem. Show that the set of real numbers x which satisfy the inequality
70
X k 5
≥ ,
k=1
x−k 4

is a union of disjoint intervals the sum of whose lengths is 1988.

Solution. Draw the graph of

70
X k
f (x) = ,
k=1
x−k

6
and denote the x coordinates of the points where it crosses the horizontal line y = 5/4
by ai , i = 1, 2, . . . .70. The set {x : f (x) ≥ 5/4} is the union of the intervals,

(i, ai ], i = 1, 2, . . . , 70,

the sum of whose lengths is

70
X
(ai − i).
i=1

To determine this sum, note that the ai are the roots of the polynomial
70
Y 5
(x − k)(f (x) − ) = 0.
k=1
4

Pick out the coefficient of x69 ; this determines the sum of the ai − i. From this one
can answer the problem.
The problem posed is a special case of the following.

Problem (Boole, Loomis). Suppose ai , i = 1, 2, . . . , n are real numbers and mi , i =

1, 2, . . . , n are positive numbers. Let λ > 0. Prove that the set
Xn
mi
{x : ≥ λ}
k=1
x − ai

is a union of disjoint intervals the sum of whose lengths is

n
1X
mi .
λ i=1