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2 Inequalities Solns
2 Inequalities Solns
Inequalities
Po-Shen Loh
June 18, 2003
Warm-Up
(Po98) Prove that for all ordered triples (a, b, c) of prime numbers:
a2 b + a2 + ac2 + 115a + b2 c + b2 + c2 + 27c + 176 < 6ab + 22ac + 14bc + 5b.
Solution: Complete the square
The p-Norm
Heres the easiest way to think of this: lets define the p-norm
of a sequence as follows: take a sequence
p
{a1 , a2 , . . . , an } and call it a. Then write kakp to denote p |a1 |p + + |an |p . (By the way, p doesnt have
to be an integer; the p-th root is then defined as the 1/p power.)
This is kind of intuitive; if p = 2, then if we have n-dimensional space and a is a coordinate vector, kak2
is the length of it. And different ps give different notions of length; for instance, p = 1 corresponds to the
Manhattan (taxicab) distance. For completeness, definte kak to be the maximum of the |ak |. Amazingly
enough, this notion of p-norm appears in many areas of mathematics. Youll see it again and again as you
learn more math.
Also, we should define addition and multiplication on sequences. That is, given a = {a1 , a2 , . . . , an }
and b = {b1 , b2 , . . . , bn }, define a + b to be {a1 + b1 , a2 + b2 , . . . , an + bn } and ab to be {a1 b1 , a2 b2 , . . . , an bn }.
a1 + + an
n a1 an
n
1
a1
n
+ +
1
an
n
n
n
If one sequence is increasing but the other is decreasing, then the inequality flips.
Rearrangement If we have the series a1 b1 + + an bn , it is maximized when the as and bs are both
sorted in the same direction, and minimized when they are sorted in opposite directions.
Bernoulli If x > 1 and r 1, then (1 + x)r 1 + rx.
1. (Titu97) Prove that for all nonzero a, b, c R:
a2
b2
c2
a c
b
+
+
+ +
b2
c2
a2
c
b a
Solution: Cauchy-Schwartz (as a verb) the LHS with a permutation of itself: (b/c)2 +(c/a)2 +(b/a)2 .
2. (Titu97) Prove that for ak 0:
(1 + a1 )(1 + a2 ) (1 + an ) (1 +
Solution:
1/p
kak1 .
a1 an )n
Generalized H
older. Prove that by induction; main point is to prove the identity kakp =
n
X
1
xk
xk
k=1
!2
n3
k=1
Solution: H
older with p = 3, q = 3/2.
4. (IMO95) Let a, b, and c be positive real n umbers such that abc = 1. Prove:
1
1
1
3
+ 3
+ 3
+ c) b (c + a) c (a + b)
2
a3 (b
a2
a
b
c
+
+
1.
2
2
+ 8bc
b + 8ca
c + 8ab
+
(x1 + + xn )
x21 + x1 x2 + x22
x22 + x2 x3 + x23
x2n + xn x1 + x21
3
Jensen A convex function is a function f (t) for which the second derivative is nonnegative. This is equivalent
to having the property that for any a, b in the domain, f ((a + b)/2) (f (a) + f (b))/2. Then given
weights 1 , 2 , . . . , n and positive numbers a1 , a2 , . . . , an :
1 f (a1 ) + + n f (an )
1 a1 + + n an
f
1 + + n
1 + + n
Smoothing Given an inequality, show that it becomes less true when you squish the values of the variables
together. Then if its still true after youre done squishing, hey, it must have been true in the first
place!
1. (Zvezda98) Prove for all nonnegative number a, b, c:
(a + b + c)2
a bc + b ca + c ab.
3
2. (IMO84) For x, y, z > 0 and x + y + z = 1, prove that xy + yz + xz 2xyz 7/27.
Solution: Smooth with the following expression: x(y + z) + yz(1 2x). Now, if x 1/2, then we
can push y and z together. The mushing algorithm is as follows: first, if there is one of them that is
greater than 1/2, pick any other one and mush the other two until all are within 1/2. Next we will
be allowed to mush with any variable taking the place of x. Pick the middle term to be x; then by
contradiction, the other two terms must be on opposite sides of 1/3. Hence we can mush to get one of
them to be 1/3. Finally, use the 1/3 for x and mush the other two into 1/3. Plugging in, we get 7/27.
3. (MMO63) For a, b, c > 0, prove:
a
b
c
3
+
+
3
(a + b)(b + c)(c + a)
2
Show that the difference is always at least 0, and if you mush together a and b, it gets better as long as
(3/2)(a + b) c 0, which happens as long as c 3/5. Hence the same algorithm as previous works.
4. (88 Friendship Competition) For a, b, c > 0:
a2
b2
c2
a+b+c
+
+
Weighted Power Mean Given weights 1 , 2 , . . . , n and positive numbers a1 , a2 , . . . , an , and powers p
and q such that p q:
1 ap1 + + n apn
1 + + n
1/p
1 aq1 + + n aqn
1 + + n
1/q
a3 3
sym
a2 b + 6abc
sym
+ c) b (a + c) c (a + b)
2
a3 (b
6. If abc = 1 then
c
a
b
+
+
1
a+b+1 b+c+1 c+a+1
7. If abc = 1 then
1
1
1
3
+
+
a + ab b + bc c + ca
2
8. Prove:
a2
b2
c2
a+b+c
+
+