Inequalities

1 A sample problem
Let a, b, c, d be non-negative real numbers such that a + b + c + d = 4. Prove that
(1 + a2 )(1 + b2 )(1 + c2 )(1 + d2 ) ≥ (1 + a)(1 + b)(1 + c)(1 + d).

Solution Outline: We assume that equalitiy holds only when all variables are equal because thats almost
always the case (this method covers others as well though). Lets replace a with a+b a+b
2 and b with 2 so
that we can make the variables approach equality while holding the given conditions true. Note that after
we apply this mapping, the RHS increases in value and the LHS decreases in value IF you assume that
a ≤ c ≤ b ≤ d (not difficult to show). Clearly after we apply this mapping infinitely many times the three
variables with the least value will all be equal and the gap between the LHS and the RHS has been continuely
minimized. So all we need to do now is prove the following inequality and we’re done!
(1 + a2 )3 (1 + (4 − 3a)2 ) ≥ (1 + a)3 (1 + 4 − 3a) ← 9a8 − 24a7 + 44a6 − 72a5 + 81a4 − 68a3 + 54a2 − 36a + 12 =
(a − 1)2 (9a6 − 6a5 + 23a4 − 20a3 + 18a2 − 12a + 12) ≥ 0.
This last inequality can be proved using AM-GM multiple times. Also note that the (a − 1)2 we factored out
should be there whenever you use this method because a = 1 yields one of the local minima. Some problems
have minimums besides a = b = c = d = 1 and these can be factored out of polynomials achieved later in
the problem if you know what the minimums are. They usually are something like a = 0, b = c = d = 34 .
There are also times in which you will be proving inequalities of two variable polynomials (perhaps when
you apply smoothing) and in most cases equality is achieved when a = b which means that you can factor
out a (a − b) to simplify the inequality.

2 Theorems to know
1) Let a1 , a2 , a3 , · · · , an be a sequence of nonegative real numbers. Prove the following set of inequalities
atleast twice for each consecutive pair (with smoothing in each direction). This is known as RMS-AM-GM-
HM and more generally as the power mean inequality.
v
u n 2 n
uX X
u ai ai v
u n
t uY
i=1 i=1
n ≥ n ≥ n
t ai ≥ n n .
Y 1
i=1
a
i=1 i

2) Prove (preferably twice) the Cauchy Schwarz inequality which states that for 2 sequences of real numbers
a1 , a2 , · · · , an and b1 , b2 , · · · bn ,
n
! n ! n
!2
X X X
2 2
ai bi ≥ ai bi .
i=1 i=1 i=1

3) For non-negative real number a, b, c, d such that a ≤ b and c ≤ d prove the following inequality.
bd + ac ≥ bc + ad
This is known as the rearrangement inequality.

4) Prove that if you have an ordered sequence on non-negative real numbers a1 , a2 , · · · , an and you substitute
a1 +an
2 for a1 and an , then after an infinite number of operations the sequence consists of n equal numbers.
This is known as smoothing.

1
3 Problems
Look for when you can impose a condition on a problem by multiplying/scaling all variables by a constant.
Also look out for problems in which a substitution of variables would help.

1) Let a, b, c, d be non-negative real numbers such that a + b + c + d = 4. Prove the following inequality.
16 + 2abcd ≥ 3(ab + bc + cd + ac + ad + bd).

2) Let a, b, c, d, e ≥ 0 satisfy that a + b + c + d + e = 5. Prove that

4(a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 + e2 ) + 5abcde ≥ 25.

3) For n ≥ 2 let a1 , a2 , . . . an be positivereal numbers such that

2
(a1 + a2 + · · · + an ) a11 + a12 + · · · + a1n ≤ n + 21
Prove that
max(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) ≤ 4 min(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ).

4) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that

a2 + b2 + c2 + (a + b + c)2 ≤ 4.
Prove that
ab+1 bc+1 ca+1
(a+b)2 + (b+c)2 + (c+a)2 ≥ 3.

5) Prove the following inequality for 

any 2 ordered sequences of real numbers a1 , a2 , · · · , an and b1 , b2 , · · · , bn .
n n n n
    
X X X X

 ai bi 


 ai 


bi 


 ai bn+1−i 

i=1
n≥ i=1 n2 i=1 ≥ i=1 n
This is known as the Chebyshev inequality.

6) Let a1 , a2 , . . . , an (n > 3) be real numbers such that

a1 + a2 + · · · + an ≥ n and a21 + a22 + · · · + a2n ≥ n2 .
Prove that
max(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) ≥ 2.

7) Prove the following inequality, for all positive real numbers a, b, c.

1 1 1 1
a3 +b3 +abc + b3 +c3 +abc + c3 +a3 +abc ≤ abc .

8)
PLet a1 , a√
2 , a3 , . . . be a sequence of positive real numbers satisfying
n
a
j=1 j ≥ n for all n ≥ 1.
Prove
Pn that, for all n ≥ 1,
1
+ 12 + · · · + n1 .
2


a
j=1 j > 4 1

9) Prove that the following inequality holds for all positive real numbers a, b, c.
√ a b
+ √b2 +8ca c
+ √c2 +8ab ≥ 1.
a2 +8bc

10) Prove that for all a, b, c ∈ R+ , we have:

a2 +b2 a2 +c2 b2 +c2
a+b + a+c + b+c ≥ a + b + c.

11) Prove that

 v n
n
Y
u n
uY
∀xi ∈ R+
0; (1 + xi ) ≥ 1 + t
n
xi  .
i=1 i=1

12) Prove Nesbitt’s inequality which states that for non-negative integers a, b, c
a b c 3
b+c + a+c + a+b ≥ 2 .