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The Entirely Mixing Variables Method: Mathematical Reflections 5 (2006)
The Entirely Mixing Variables Method: Mathematical Reflections 5 (2006)
2 k 6
2. Indeed, if c =
0, a + b = 3, applying AM GM Inequality, we obtain
LHS = a
4
+ b
4
= (a
2
b
2
)
2
+ 2a
2
b
2
2
2|ab(b
2
a
2
)| = 6
2|ab(b a)|.
The equality is taken if and only if |b
2
a
2
| = |ab| and a + b = 3, c = 0.
Because the equality can be happened if a, b, c are dierent values, so the positive
value of k to contruct a valid inequality must lie between 6
2 and 6
2.
Now we will prove that for all non-negative real numbers a, b, c adding up to 3 then
a
4
+ b
4
+ c
4
3abc 6
2ab(b a)
a
3
+ 4b
3
+ (6
2 1)a
2
b (6
2 + 1)ab
2
.
But this last one is obviously true by AM GM Inequality
4b
3
+ (6
2 1)a
2
b 4
_
6
2 1ab
2
(6
2 + 1)ab
2
.
Thus in the expression of f(t), the coecients of t, t
2
are positive at once, it implies
that f(t) is an increasing function for t 0. If c = min(a, b, c), we have
a
4
+ b
4
+ c
4
abc(a + b + c) k(a b)(b c)(c a)(a + b + c)
a
4
+ b
4
+ c
4
a
(a
+ b
+ c
) k(a
)(b
)(c
),
in which a
= ac, b
= b c, c
5
2
a a =
3(3
5)
2
, b =
3(
5 1)
2
, c = 0. K
This is clearly a painstaking and complicated solution, but the main content is
only involved by the idea of the entirely mixing variables method. Using functions as
above is almost a helpful way for problems of this kind. One special example is Jack
Grafukels Inequality, where this method shows the most original, simplest solution
Problem 4. Prove that for all non-negative real numbers a, b, c then the following
inequality holds
a
a + b
+
b
b + c
+
c
c + a
5
4
a + b + c.
(Jack Grafulkel, Crux)
Solution. Firstly, we must prove the problem in case one of three numbers a, b, c is
0. Indeed, suppose c = 0, the given inequality can be changed into
a
a + b
+
b
5
4
a + b
1
4
a +
5
4
b
_
b(a + b)
(a + b) + 4b 4
_
b(a + b).
By AM GM Inequality, its obviously true and has equality when a = 3b.
4
Next, we will solve this problem in the general case. Denote
x =
_
a + b
2
, y =
_
a + c
2
, z =
_
b + c
2
, k =
5
2
4
.
WLOG, we may assume that x = max(x, y, z). The required inequality is equivalent
to
y
2
+ z
2
x
2
z
+
z
2
+ x
2
y
2
x
+
x
2
+ y
2
z
2
y
5
2
4
x + y + z
x + y + z + (x y)(x z)(z y)
_
1
xy
+
1
yz
+
1
zx
_
k
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
(1)
Clearly, the problem is proved in case z y. Firstly, we will prove that, for every
numbers t 0 then
k
_
(x + t)
2
+ (b + t)
2
+ (z + t)
2
k
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
+ 3t (2)
k
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
+ 2t(x + y + z) + 3t
2
k
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
+ 3t.
Note that k
2
3 and x + y + z
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
so the above inequality is true.
On the other hand, since x = max(x, y, z) and x
2
y
2
+ z
2
, there exists a positive
number t min(a, b, c) for which (x t)
2
= (y t)
2
+ (z t)
2
. Hence, as the above
solved result, (there is one of three numbers a, b, c is 0) inequality (1) is true if we
replace x, y, z by x
= x t, y
= y t, z
= z t. So we obtain
x
+y
+z
+(x
)(x
)(z
)
_
1
x
+
1
y
+
1
z
_
k
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
(3)
The inequality (1) can be rewritten as follow
(x
)(x
)(z
)
_
1
(x
+ t)(y
+ t)
+
1
(y
+ t)(z
+ t)
+
1
(z
+ t)(x
+ t)
_
+
+x
+ y
+ z
+ 3t k
_
(x
+ t)
2
+ (y
+ t)
2
+ (z
+ t)
2
,
but clearly, we obtain this one directly by adding (3) and (2) (in which x, y, z were
replaced by x
, y
, z
cyc
(a b)
2
b
(a b)(b c)(c a)(a + b + c)
abc
.
Mathematical Reflections 5 (2006) 5
cyc
ac(a b)
2
(a b)(a c)(b c)(a + b + c).
The above form shows that we only need to prove it in case a b c and a = b + c
(indeed, we only need to prove
cyc
(a+c)(ab)
2
3(ab)(ac)(b c), applying the
mixing variables method again, it remains to prove that a(a b)
2
+b
2
(b +a) +a
2
b
3ab(a b), which is obvious). So we only need to prove the initial problem in case
(a, b, c) are three lengths of a trivial triangle when a = b +c. The inequality becomes
2
_
(b + c)
3
c + c
3
b + b
2
(a + b)
_
2bc(b + c)
2
+ (b + c)
3
b + b
3
c + c
2
(b + c)
b
4
2b
3
c b
2
c
2
+ 4bc
3
+ c
4
0.
Because of the homogeneity, we may assume c = 1 and prove f(b) 0 for
f(b) = b
4
2b
3
b
2
+ 4b + 1
By derivative, its easy to prove this property. This ends the proof. K
For the end, the reader should try proving two hard and interesting inequalities
Problem 6. Let a, b, c be three side-lengths of a triangle. Prove that
_
a
b
+
b
c
+
c
a
3
_
k
_
b
a
+
c
b
+
a
c
3
_
where k = 1
2
_
2
2 1
_
_
5 + 4
2 + 1
.
Problem 7. Prove that for all non-negative real numbers a, b, c with sum 1 then
1
a
a + 2b
+
b
b + 2c
+
c
c + 2a
_
3
2
.
The detailed proof will be saved up for the reader. Try it !
6