About one inequality from APMO, 2004

(New solution and generalizations).

Arkady M.Alt

06/30/2009

Original problem from APMO, 2004/5 is:

Prove that
2
a2 + 2 b2 + 2 c2 + 2 9 (ab + bc + ca)
for any positive real numbers a; b; c:
1.We will prove more stronger inequality
2
(1) a2 + 2 b2 + 2 c2 + 2 3 (a + b + c)
2
which yields original inequality (because (a + b + c) 3 (ab + bc + ca)):
Since for any real x; y holds inequalities
2 2
(2) x2 + 2 y 2 + 2 2 (x + y) () (xy 2) 0 and
3 2 2 2
(3) x2 + 2 y 2 + 2 (x + y) + 2 () 2 (xy 1) + (x y) 0
2
then

3 2 3 2 2
a2 + 2 b2 + 2 c2 + 2 (a + b) + 2 c2 + 2 2 ((a + b) + c) = 3 (a + b + c)
2 2
with equality condition a = b = c; which
follows immediately from equality condition for (2) and (3).

2. Generalization 1.
For any positive real numbers x; y; z; t holds inequality
3t4 2
(4) x2 + t2 y 2 + t2 z 2 + t2 (x + y + z) :
4
Proof.
Since for any real x; y and t holds inequalities
(5)
2 2
x2 + t2 y 2 + t2 t2 (x + y) () xy t2 0
and
(6)
2
2 2 2 2 3t2 2 t2 t2 2
x +t y +t (x + y) + t2 () xy + (x y) 0
4 2 4

1
 About one inequality from APMO, 20045-New solution and generalizations.

then

3t2 2 3t2 2 2 3t4 2

x2 + t2 y 2 + t2 z 2 + t2 (x + y) + t2 z 2 + t2 t ((x + y) + z) = (x + y + z)
4 4 4
t
with equality condition x = y = z = p ; which follows
2
immediately from equality condition for (5) and (6).
Those inequalities can be obtained from the p
similar inequalities
p inpthe
p 2x 2y 2z
particular case a = 2 by substitution a = ,b = ,c= .
t t t
3. Generalization 2.
Let x; y; t > 0 then
tn n
(7) (xn + tn ) (y n + tn ) (x + y) ; n 2:
2 2
n
Indeed, since by Power Mean Inequality
n 1
1 n n ! n
y n + tn n yn 1 + tn 1
()
2 2
n n !n 1
y n + tn yn 1 + tn 1
()
2 2
n n n 1
yn 1 + tn 1
y n + tn and by Holder’s Inequality
2n 2

n n n 1 n n n 1
n n
(xn + tn ) yn 1 + tn 1 = (xn + tn ) tn 1 + yn 1 (xt + ty) = tn (x + y)

1 n n n 1 tn n
then (xn + tn ) (y n + tn ) (xn + tn ) yn 1 + tn 1 (x + y) :
2n 2 2n 2
4. Generalization 3.
For any natural m and n such that 2 m n and positive real numbers
x1 ; x2 ; :::; xm ; t holds inequality
Qm tn(m 1) n
(8) (xnk + tn ) m 1 (x1 + x2 + ::: + xm )
k=1 mn m (m 1)
t
with equality condition xk = p n
; k = 1; 2; :::; m:
m 1
Proof.
Q
m P
m 1
Denote P := (xnk + tn ) and S := n n
then by AM-GM Inequality
k=1 k=1 xk + t
we have
xni Pm tn 1 xn tn Stn
n n
+ n n
= n i n n n
+
xi + t k=1;k6=i xk + t m 1 xi + t (m 1) (xi + t ) m 1
s
n n(m 1)
xi t
mm m 1 ; i = 1; 2; :::; m:
P (m 1)

c 1985-2018 Arkady Alt 2

 About one inequality from APMO, 20045-New solution and generalizations.

Summing this inequalities we obtain:

Pm xni mtn S tn P m 1 Pm xni
n n
+ n n
= n n
+ tn S =
x
i=1 i + t m 1 m 1 x
i=1 i + t x
i=1 i + t
Pm xni Pm tn m xn + tn
P i
n n
+ n n
= n n
= m
i=1 xi + t k=1 xk + t i=1 xi + t
n(m 1) P m n
s t m xm
P
m n n(m 1)
m
xi t 1
i=1
m m 1 () P
m
m 1 ()
i=1 P (m 1) (m 1) m
0P m n
1m
m x m
t n(m 1) Pm n t n(m 1)
m B
m
B i=1
C
C :
P xm = m 1 @
(m 1)
m 1
i=1 (m 1) m A

Since by Power Mean Inequality

0P m n
1mn P
m P
m n
x m xi m xi
B i=1 C P
m n
B C i=1
() xm i=1
@ m A m i=1 mn m

then we …nally get inequality

n
tn(m 1) P
m
P m 1 xi ;
(m 1) m n m i=1
t
where equality occurs i¤ x1 = x2 = ::: = xm = p
n
m 1
(condition of equality in Power Mean Inequality).

Applications.
Problem 3326(a).(CRUX,Vol.34,No.3)
Let a; b;and c be
Qpositive real Q
numbers.
2
(a) Show that a2 + 2 + 4 a2 + 1 6 (a + b + c) :
cyc cyc
Solution. p
Applying inequality (4) to t = 2 and t = 1 we obtain
p 4
Q 2 3 2 2 2
a +2 (a + b + c) = 3 (a + b + c) and
cyc 4
Q 2 3 14 2 3 2
a +1 (a + b + c) = (a + b + c) :
cyc 4 4
Q 2 Q 2 2
Hence, a +2 +4 a +1 6 (a + b + c) :
cyc cyc
Problem 3327(a).(CRUX,Vol.34,No.3)
Let a; b;and c be positive real numbers.
Q 4 9 2
(a) Show that a + 3a2 + 2 (a + b + c) :
cyc 4
Solution.
Q 4 Q 2 Q 2 2 3 2
a + 3a2 + 2 = a +2 a +1 3 (a + b + c) (a + b + c) =
cyc cyc cyc 4

c 1985-2018 Arkady Alt 3

 About one inequality from APMO, 20045-New solution and generalizations.

9 2
(a + b + c) :
4
Remark.
There are many solutions of this APMO 2004 problem 5,
but all what I sow are more complicate and heavy.
For example: 3 solutions of Problem 67 in "Old and
New Inequalities" Titu Andreescu and Vasile Cirtoaje,
and 2 solutions in "Topics in Inequalities" of Hojoo Lee
and also solution in
https://mks.m¤.cuni.cz/kalva/apmo/asoln/asol045.html

c 1985-2018 Arkady Alt 4