Just inequality

Algebra Level 3

Find the minimum value of ( x + y ) 3 x 2 y \dfrac{(x+y)^3}{x^2y} , where x x and y y are positive real numbers.


The answer is 6.75.

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3 solutions

Amal Hari
Nov 9, 2019

( x + y ) 3 x 2 y = ( x + y ) 2 ( x + y ) x 2 y \frac{\left(x+y\right)^{3} }{x^{2}y}=\frac{\left(x+y\right)^{2}\left(x+y\right) }{x^{2}y}

( x + y ) 2 x 2 × ( x + y ) y \frac{\left(x+y\right)^{2}}{x^{2}} \times \frac{\left(x+y\right)}{y}

( x + y x ) 2 × ( x y + 1 ) \left(\frac{x+y}{x}\right)^{2} \times \left(\frac{x}{y} +1 \right)

( y x + 1 ) 2 × ( x y + 1 ) \left(\frac{y}{x} +1\right)^{2} \times \left(\frac{x}{y} +1 \right)

let y x = k \frac{y}{x} =k

y = k x y=kx

( k + 1 ) 2 × ( 1 k + 1 ) \left(k+1\right)^{2} \times \left(\frac{1}{k} +1 \right) simplifying further we get ( k + 1 ) 3 k 2 \frac{\left( k+1 \right)^{3}}{k^{2}}

if we plot this as a function and analyse the rate of change and solve the inequalities of rate of change being<0 and >0 we get unique number satisfying the inequality and observe that for values less than this number it is negative and for others it is positive, therefore the critical point is a minimum value. 3 ( k + 1 ) 2 k 2 2 ( k + 1 ) k 3 = 0 \frac{3 \left(k+1 \right)^{2}}{k^{2}} -\frac{2 \left(k+1 \right)}{k^{3}} =0

3 = 2 k + 1 k 3=2\frac{k+1}{k}

3 k = 2 k + 2 3k=2k+2

k = 2 k=2

substituting this value to the function

( 2 + 1 ) 3 2 2 \frac{\left( 2+1 \right)^{3}}{2^{2}}

27 4 = 6.75 \frac{27}{4} = 6.75

Let y = v x y=vx . Then the given expression is reduced to v 2 + 3 v + 3 + 1 v v^2+3v+3+\dfrac{1}{v} . This will be minimum when v = 1 2 v=\dfrac{1}{2} (since both x , y x, y and hence v v are positive). Hence the minimum value of the given expression is 27 4 = 6.75 \dfrac{27}{4}=\boxed {6.75}

Max Patrick
Nov 10, 2019

Let m = ( x + y ) m=(x+y)

The formula is now

m 3 / ( x 2 ) ( m x ) m^3/(x^2)(m-x)

For a given m m , we need to find the Highest value of the denominator ( x 2 ) ( m x ) = m x 2 x 3 (x^2)(m-x)=mx^2-x^3

This is a cubic equation passing through (0,0) and tending to -inf as x x tends to +inf.

By calculus the x-positive stationary point:

2 m x 3 x 2 = 0 2mx-3x^2=0

x = 2 m / 3 x=2m/3

Substitute back into m 3 / ( x 2 ) ( m x ) m^3/(x^2)(m-x)

All the algebra cancels out and the answer is 27 \boxed{27}

Why does all the algebra cancel out? - Expand the formula in the question and it can be seen that every term is order-3 in y y and x x so y y and x x can vary in proportion without affecting the value.

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