Minimizing the Expression

Algebra Level 2

1 a 3 ( b + c ) + 1 b 3 ( a + c ) + 1 c 3 ( a + b ) \large \frac{1}{a^3(b+c)} + \frac{1}{b^3(a+c)} + \frac{1}{c^3(a+b) }

Given that a , b a,b and c c are positive such that their product is 1, find the minimum value of the expression above.


The answer is 1.5.

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2 solutions

Alan Yan
Sep 6, 2015

c y c 1 a 3 ( b + c ) = c y c 1 a 2 a ( b + c ) ( 1 a + 1 b + 1 c ) 2 2 ( a b + b c + a c ) (Titu’s/Cauchy Swartz) \large \sum_{cyc}{\frac{1}{a^3(b+c)}} = \sum_{cyc}{\frac{\frac{1}{a^2}}{a(b+c)}} \geq \frac{(\frac{1}{a}+\frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} )^2}{2(ab+bc+ac) } \normalsize \text{ (Titu's/Cauchy Swartz)}

= a b + b c + c a 2 3 2 (AM - GM) \large = \frac{ab + bc +ca}{2} \geq \boxed{\frac{3}{2}} \normalsize \text{ (AM - GM) }

Equality holds when a = b = c = 1 a = b = c = 1 .

Same way!!! Upvoted!

Department 8 - 5 years, 9 months ago

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@Lakshya Sinha

Do you believe it is a 1995 IMO problem?

Swapnil Das - 5 years, 7 months ago

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Yeah, I think so

Department 8 - 5 years, 7 months ago

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@Department 8 Easy in an IMO standard, isn't it?

Swapnil Das - 5 years, 7 months ago
Lorenzo Moulin
Sep 17, 2015

If the product is constant, the sum is minimum when all of terms are equal, so a=b=c=1, then substitute by one variable

a can be 1 2 \frac{1}{2} and both b and c can be 2 \sqrt2 each, who knows?

Nicholas Tanvis - 5 years, 7 months ago

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