Simple Inequality 3

Algebra Level 2

a , b a,b and c c are three positive real numbers such that a + b + c = n a+b+c=n .

What is the smallest possible value of n n such that

( a b + b c + c a ) ( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) 20 (ab+bc+ca)\left(\dfrac{a}{2b+3c}+\dfrac{b}{2c+3a}+\dfrac{c}{2a+3b}\right)\ge 20

for all possible ordered triplets ( a , b , c ) ? (a,b,c)?


The answer is 10.

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4 solutions

Nathan Ramesh
Dec 1, 2014

Notice ( a b + b c + c a ) ( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) (ab+bc+ca)\left(\dfrac{a}{2b+3c}+\dfrac{b}{2c+3a}+\dfrac{c}{2a+3b}\right) = ( a b + b c + c a ) ( a 2 2 a b + 3 c a + b 2 2 b c + 3 a b + c 2 2 c a + 3 b c ) =(ab+bc+ca)\left(\dfrac{a^2}{2ab+3ca}+\dfrac{b^2}{2bc+3ab}+\dfrac{c^2}{2ca+3bc}\right) By Titu's Lemma, this is greater than or equal to ( a b + b c + c a ) ( ( a + b + c ) 2 5 a b + 5 b c + 5 c a ) = n 2 5 \geq (ab+bc+ca)\left(\dfrac{(a+b+c)^2}{5ab+5bc+5ca}\right)=\dfrac{n^2}{5} If this is 20 \geq 20 , then n 10 n\geq 10 and the minimum n n is 10 10 .

Typo there - minimum n is 10. And yes that is the best method to sole it. I gave a rather more complex sol.

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 6 months ago

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thanks @Kartik Sharma fixed

Nathan Ramesh - 6 years, 6 months ago

Post please if you get a chance. Complex solutions may be as well be very inspiring!

Andrea Palma - 6 years, 3 months ago

Won't we have to consider two cases: one where n 2 5 20 \frac{n^2}{5}≥20 and when 20 > n 2 5 20>\frac{n^2}{5} ?

Krish Shah - 1 year, 1 month ago
Kartik Sharma
Dec 1, 2014

Well, it might be easier than thought but I don't know, I made it difficult(my solution would seem to).

First of all, using Re-arrangement inequality,

( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) ( a 2 c + 3 a + b 2 a + 3 b + c 2 b + 3 c ) (\frac{a}{2b+3c} + \frac{b}{2c+3a} + \frac{c}{2a+3b}) \geq (\frac{a}{2c+3a} + \frac{b}{2a+3b} + \frac{c}{2b+3c})

( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) \geq (\frac{a}{2b+3c} + \frac{b}{2c+3a} + \frac{c}{2a+3b})

( a 2 c + 3 a + b 2 b + 3 c + c 2 a + 3 b ) \geq (\frac{a}{2c+3a} + \frac{b}{2b+3c} + \frac{c}{2a+3b})

Adding all these,

3 ( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) ( a + b + c 2 c + 3 a + a + b + c 2 a + 3 b + a + b + c 2 b + 3 c ) 3(\frac{a}{2b+3c} + \frac{b}{2c+3a} + \frac{c}{2a+3b}) \geq (\frac{a+b+c}{2c+3a} + \frac{a+b+c}{2a+3b} + \frac{a+b+c}{2b+3c})

( a + b + c ) ( 1 2 c + 3 a + 1 2 b + 3 c + 1 2 a + 3 b ) \geq (a+b+c)(\frac{1}{2c+3a} + \frac{1}{2b+3c} + \frac{1}{2a+3b})

Now using Cauchy-Schwarz in Engel form,

( 1 2 c + 3 a + 1 2 b + 3 c + 1 2 a + 3 b ) 9 5 ( a + b + c ) (\frac{1}{2c+3a} + \frac{1}{2b+3c} + \frac{1}{2a+3b}) \geq \frac{9}{5(a+b+c)}

Now,

3 ( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) ( a + b + c ) ( 9 5 ( a + b + c ) ) 3(\frac{a}{2b+3c} + \frac{b}{2c+3a} + \frac{c}{2a+3b}) \geq (a+b+c)(\frac{9}{5(a+b+c)}) - (1)

Also,

a b + b c + c a ( a + b + c ) 2 3 ab + bc + ca \geq \frac{{(a+b+c)}^{2}}{3} -(2)

Multiplying (1) and (2) and replacing a + b + c a + b + c with n n

( a 2 b + 3 c + b 2 c + 3 a + c 2 a + 3 b ) ( a b + b c + c a ) n 2 5 (\frac{a}{2b+3c} + \frac{b}{2c+3a} + \frac{c}{2a+3b})(ab + bc + ca) \geq \frac{{n}^{2}}{5}

n 2 5 20 \frac{{n}^{2}}{5} \geq 20

n 10 n \geq 10

Madhuri Phute
Apr 26, 2016

Since the given expression is cyclic, we can assume that a = b = c = n 3 a = b = c = \frac{n}{3} .

Substituting this value, the expression is reduced to :

( n 2 9 + n 2 9 + n 2 9 ) ( 1 5 + 1 5 + 1 5 ) 20 (\frac{n^2}{9} + \frac{n^2}{9} + \frac{n^2}{9})(\frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{5}) \geq 20

= > n 2 3 3 5 20 => \frac{n^2}{3} * \frac{3}{5} \geq 20

= > n 2 100 => n^2 \geq 100

= > n 10 => n \geq 10

Thus the minimum value of n n is 10 10 .

Note: we cannot assume a = b = c = n 3 a=b=c=\dfrac{n}{3} just because it is cyclic. There are plenty of inequalities with equality cases that are not when all variables are equal. For example, the maximum value of x 2 y + y 2 z + z 2 x x^2y+y^2z+z^2x when x + y + z = 3 x+y+z=3 is not when x = y = z = 1 x=y=z=1 , it's when x = 2 , y = 1 , z = 0 x=2, y=1, z=0 or cyclic permutations.

Daniel Liu - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Oh yes... Fair point! I guess I got lucky..

Madhuri Phute - 5 years, 1 month ago
Sohel Zibara
Jul 20, 2016

Just a comment. The rearrangement inequality cannot be applied here because 2c + 3a is not necessarily greatest than 2a+3b

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