Inequality Problem Set III

Maths Olympiad Preparation

16th February 2024

1 Problems
1. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ with a + b + c = 3. Prove that
a7 + b7 b7 + c7 c7 + a7
+ + ≥ 3.
a5 + b5 b5 + c5 c5 + a5

2. Let S & I be the spieker centre and the incentre of ∆ABC re-
spectively and [XY Z] denotes the area of figure XY Z. Prove that
[BSC] [CSA] [ASB] [BIC] [CIA] [AIB]
+ + ≥ + + ≥ 3.
[BIC] [CIA] [AIB] [BSC] [CSA] [ASB]

3. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ with a + b + c = 1. Prove that

bc ca ab 3
2
+ 2
+ 2
≤ .
1−a 1−b 1−c 8

4. Let x, y & z ∈ R+ with xyz = 1. Prove that

x3 + 1 y3 + 1 z3 + 1 √
p +p +p ≥ 2 yz + zx + xy.
x4 + y + z y4 + z + x z4 + x + y

5. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ . Prove that

a b c
√
3
+ √
3 3
+ √
3 3
≥ 1.
a3 + 26abc b + 26abc c + 26abc

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6. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ . Prove that

1 1 1 10
+ 2 + 2 ≥ .
b2 + c2 c + a2 a + b2 (a + b + c)2

1 1
7. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ such that 16(a + b + c) ≥ a + b + 1c . Prove that
X 1 8
√ 3
≤ .
cyc
[a + b + 2 a + c] 9

8. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ and n is a positive integer. Prove that

p
n
p p p
4ab(a + b) + n 4bc(b + c) + n 4ca(c + a) ≤ 3 n (a + b)(b + c)(c + a).

9. Let x, y & z ∈ R+ . Prove that

r r r r r r 
y+z z+x x+y x y z
+ + ≥2 + + .
x y z y+z z+x x+y

10. Let a, b & c ∈ R+ . Prove that

ab2 bc2 ca2 a+b+c

+ + ≤ .
a2 + 2b2 + c2 b2 + 2c2 + a2 c2 + 2a2 + b2 4

Happy Problem Solving!

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2 Solutions
2
a7 + b7

a+b
1. Claim: ≥ .
a5 + b5 2
Proof: Our claim is equivalent to

3a7 + 3b7 ≥ a5 b2 + a2 b5 + 2a6 b + 2ab6 .

Which is clearly true by Muirhead since,

(7, 0) ≻ (6, 1) ≻ (5, 2).

Now, from our Claim, it follows that

X a7 + b7 X  a + b 2
≥
cyc
a5 + b5 cyc
2
(a + b + c)2
≥ [By Titu’s Lemma]
3
= 3.

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c = 1.
REMARK: More generally, we have,
a1 p + a2 p a2 p + a3 p an−1 p + an p an p + a1 p n(a1 + a2 + · · · + an−1 + an )p−q
+ +· · ·+ + ≥ .
a1 q + a2 q a2 q + a3 q an−1 q + an q an q + a1 q np−q

Where ai ∈ R+ ∀i ∈ (1, 2, · · · , n − 1, n) and p, q ∈ N such that p ≥ q with

equality iff a1 = a2 = · · · = an−1 = an .

[BSC] b+c
2. Claim: = .
[BIC] 2a
Proof: Note that the barycentric coordinates of the points S & I are

S : (b + c, c + a, a + b),

I : (a, b, c).
Therefore,
b+c
[BSC] = · ∆,
2(a + b + c)

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a
[BIC] = · ∆.
a+b+c
Thus,
[BSC] b+c
= .
[BIC] 2a
So, the inequality we need to prove is,
b+c c+a a+b 2a 2b 2c
+ + ≥ + + ≥ 3.
2a 2b 2c b+c c+a a+b
The second inequality is just Nesbitt’s Inequality. And for the first in-
equality, we have
b+c c+a a+b 2a 2b 2c
+ + ≥ + + ,
2a 2b 2c b+c c+a a+b
X X
⇐⇒ b2 c2 (b + c)2 ≥ 2abc a3 + 6a2 b2 c2 .
cyc cyc

Which is clearly true by Muirhead since,

(4, 2, 0) ≻ (4, 1, 1),

(3, 3, 0) ≻ (2, 2, 2).

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c i.e. only when ∆ABC is equilateral.

3. From the given condition The inequality we need to prove is equivalent

to,
X 4bc 3
2 2
≤ .
cyc
b + c + 2(bc + ca + ab) 2
But from Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality, we have
X 4bc X bc X bc
≤ +
cyc
b2 + c2 + 2(bc + ca + ab) cyc
b2 + bc + ca + ab
cyc
c2 + bc + ca + ab

X bc X bc
= +
cyc
(b + a)(b + c) cyc (c + a)(c + b)
X a(b + c)2
= .
cyc
(b + c)(c + a)(a + b)

Thus, we need to prove that

X
3(b + c)(c + a)(a + b) ≥ a(b + c)2 .
cyc

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Which reduces to
X
bc(b + c) ≥ 6abc .
cyc

Which is just a consequence of Muirhead or AM-GM.

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c = 13 .

4. Using the AM-GM Inequality, we have

p p
2 (x4 + y + z)(yz + zx + xy) = 2 (x4 + xyz(y + z))(yz + zx + xy)
p
= 2 (x3 + y 2 z + yz 2 )(xyz + x2 y + x2 z)
≤ (x3 + y 2 z + yz 2 ) + (xyz + x2 y + x2 z)
= (x + y + z)(x2 + yx)
(x + y + z)(x3 + 1)
= .
x
Which gives
√
x3 + 1 2x yz + zx + xy
p ≥ .
x4 + y + z x+y+z

Building up 2 analogous inequalities and adding them up yields the de-

sired result.
QED.
Equality holds iff x = y = z = 1.

5. Using Holder’s Inequality, we obtain

!3
X a X X
√
3
( a(a3 + 26abc) ≥ ( a)4 .
3
a + 26abc
cyc cyc cyc

Therefore, it remains to prove that

X X
( a)4 ≥ a(a3 + 26abc).
cyc cyc

X X
⇐⇒ 4 bc(b2 + c2 ) + 6 b2 c2 ≥ 14abc(a + b + c) .
cyc cyc

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Which is clearly true by Muirhead since

(3, 1, 0) ≻ (2, 2, 0) ≻ (2, 1, 1) .

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c.

6. Assume without loss of generality that c = min{a, b, c}. Then

1 1 2
+ 2 ≥ ⇐⇒ (ab − c2 )(a − b)2 ≥ 0.
b2 +c2 c +a 2 ab + c2
And by Cauchy-Schwarz, we have
 
1 2
((a2 + b2 ) + 8(ab + c2 )) 2 2
+ ≥ 25.
a +b ab + c2

Hence, we need to prove that

5(a+b+c)2 ≥ 2((a2 +b2 )+8(ab+c2 )) ⇐⇒ 3(a−b)2 +c(10a+10b−11c) ≥ 0.

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b, c = 0 and cyclic permutations.

7. Using the AM-GM Inequality, we obtain

r r r
√ a+c a+c 3 (a + b)(a + c)
a+b+2 a+c=a+b+ + ≥3 .
2 2 2

Therefore, we need to prove that

X 2 8
≤ .
cyc
27(a + c)(a + b) 9

Which reduces to

6(b + c)(c + a)(a + b) ≥ a + b + c .

Which is true since

1 1 1 16(bc + ca + ab)2 3
16(a+b+c) ≥ + + =⇒ ≥ bc+ca+ab ⇐⇒ bc + ca + ab ≥ .
a b c 3 16

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And
9(b + c)(c + a)(a + b) ≥ 8(a + b + c)(bc + ca + ab) .
QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c = 14 .

8. The inequality we need to prove is equivalent to

s s s
4bc 4ca 4ab
n
+ n
+ n ≤ 3.
(a + b)(a + c) (b + c)(b + a) (c + a)(c + b)

Using the weighted AM-GM Inequality, we obtain

s
2b 2c
2bc n − 2 + a+b + a+c
n
≤ .
(a + b)(a + c) n

Building up two analogous inequalities and adding them up yields the de-
sired result.
QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c.

9. We have
r
X y+z Xr x X y + z − 2x
≥2 ⇐⇒ p ≥0
cyc
x cyc
y+z cyc x(y + z)
!
X z−x x−y
⇐⇒ p −p ≥0
cyc x(y + z) x(y + z)
!
X x−y x−y
⇐⇒ p −p ≥0
cyc y(z + x) x(y + z)
X z(x − y)2
⇐⇒ p p p ≥ 0.
cyc ( y(z + x) + x(y + z)) xy(x + z)(y + z)

Which is clearly true.

QED.
Equality holds iff x = y = z.

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10. Using Titu’s Lemma, we obtain

9 1 16
+ 2 ≥ 2 .
a2 + b2 + c2 b a + 2b2 + c2
Which gives

ab2 9ab2
 
1
2 2 2
≤ a+ .
a + 2b + c 16 a2 + b2 + c2

Building up two analogous inequalities and adding them up yields,

X ab2 a + b + c 9(ab2 + bc2 + ca2 )
≤ + .
cyc
a2 + 2b2 + c2 4 16(a2 + b2 + c2 )

Therefore, it remains to prove that

3(ab2 + bc2 + ca2 ) ≤ (a + b + c)(a2 + b2 + c2 ) .

Which is clearly true since

b(a − b)2 + c(b − c)2 + a(c − a)2 ≥ 0 .

QED.
Equality holds iff a = b = c.
REMARK: In a similar manner, we can prove that
ab3 bc3 ca3 a+b+c
3 3 3
+ 3 3 3
+ 3 3 3
≤ .
a + 2b + c a + b + 2c 2a + b + c 4
With equality iff a = b = c.

Thank You All!

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