1
ASSIGNMENT
2
x y z x 2 y 2 z2
1. For real numbers x, y, z prove that + + + + with equality only when x = y = z
2 3 6 2 3 6
2. For any positive integer n, prove that there exists a polynomial P(x) of degree at least 8n, such that
(2n+1)2
P (k ) P ( 0 )
k =1
3. If x, y, z are positive real numbers such that x2 + y2 + z2 = 1, prove that
x y z 3 3
E + +
1−x 1−y 1−z
2 2 2
2
n −1
4. Let n > 1 be an integer, p > 0 a real number. Find the maximum value of x x
i =1
i i +1 , when the xi’s run
n
over nonnegative values with x
i =1
i = p.
5. Let a, b, c, d, e, f be positive integers such that
a c e
.
b d ƒ
Suppose aƒ – be = - 1. Show that d b + ƒ.
6. If x, y, z are positive real numbers such that x y z, prove that
x 2 y y2z z 2 x
+ + x 2 + y2 + z 2 .
z x y
7. If a, b, c are real numbers with a < b < c and
a + b + c = 6,
ab + bc + ca = 9,
then prove that 0 < a < 1 < b < 3 < c < 4.
2
Solutions
2
x y z x 2 y 2 z2
1. For real numbers x, y, z prove that + + + + with equality only when x = y = z
2 3 6 2 3 6
Sol: Equivalently, we have to show that
( 3x + 2y + z )
2
(
6 3x 2 + 2y 2 + z 2 )
This follows by applying the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality to the sequence
x, x, x, y, y, z and 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
2. For any positive integer n, prove that there exists a polynomial P(x) of degree at least 8n, such that
(2n+1)2
P (k ) P ( 0 )
k =1
Sol: Consider the polynomial
(2n +1)2
P(x) = (x − k)
k =2
(x – 2)(x – 3) …… (x - (4n2 + 4n))(x - [2n + 1]2). (i)
Clearly
|P(0)| = (4n2 + 4n + 1)!, |P(1)| = (4n2 + 4n)!
and P(k) = 0 for 2 k (2n + 1)2.
So (i) holds because then
(2n +1)2
k =1
| P(k) |= (4n 2 + 4n)! (4n 2 + 4n + 1)! = | P(0) | .
Also, since the degree of the polynomial in (i) is d = 4n2 + 4n = 4n(n + 1) and since either n or n + 1
is an even integer, we see that d 8n.
3. If x, y, z are positive real numbers such that x2 + y2 + z2 = 1, prove that
x y z 3 3
E + +
1−x 1−y 1−z
2 2 2
2
Sol: By the RMS inequality we have
( x + y)
2
z 2z
x 2 + y 2 = 1 − z 2 so that .
2 1− z 2
(x + y) 2
Hence it follows that
2z 2y 2z
E + + …(1)
(y + z) 2
(z + x) 2
(x + y) 2
By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality,
x y z x y z
2
(x + y + z) + + + + .
( y + z )2 ( z + x )2 ( x + y )2 y + z z + x x + y
3
x y z 3
+ + (3)
y+z z+x x+y 2
Further, by the RMS inequality we have
2
x+y+z x +y +z 1
2 2 2
=
3 3 3
1 1
x+y+z 3 (4)
x +y+z 3
Hence (1) gives, using (2),(3) , that
2
2 x y z
E + +
x + y + z y + z z + x x + y
2
2 3 3 3
= [by (4)]
32 2
n −1
4. Let n > 1 be an integer, p > 0 a real number. Find the maximum value of x x
i =1
i i +1 , when the xi’s run
n
over nonnegative values with x
i =1
i = p.
Sol Let xk = max {x1, …, xn}. Then
n −1 k −1 n −1 k −1 n −1
x x
i =1
i i +1 = x i x i+1 + x i x i+1 x k x i + x k x i +1
i =1 i =k i =1 i=k
2
p
= xk (p − xk ) .
4
p p2
The equality occurs if say x1 = x2 = , x3 = … = xn = 0. Thus, the answer is .
2 4
5. Let a, b, c, d, e, f be positive integers such that
a c e
.
b d ƒ
Suppose aƒ – be = - 1. Show that d b + ƒ.
Sol. Since bc – ad > 0, we have bc – ad 1. Similarly, we obtain de – fc 1. Therefore d = d(be - af) =
dbe – daf = dbe – bfc + bfc – adf = b (de - fc) + f(bc - ad) b + f
6. If x, y, z are positive real numbers such that x y z, prove that
x 2 y y2z z 2 x
+ + x 2 + y2 + z 2 .
z x y
Sol. As x y z, let z = a, y = a + b, x = a + b + c where b, c are non – negative. Then the given
inequality is equivalent to
4
x3y2 + y3z2 + z3x2 x3yz + y3zx + z3xy,
i.e. x3y(y - z) + z3x(x - y) y3z (x - z),
or (a + b + c)3 (a + b) b + a3c(a + b + c) a (a + b)3 (b + c)
or [(a + b)3 + 3c(a + b)2 + 3(a + b)c2 + c3] (ab + b2) + a3c(a + b + c) ab (a + b)3 + ac
(a + b)3,
or ab(a + b)3 + b2(a + b)3 + [c3 + 3(a + b)c2] (ab + b2) + 3a3bc + 9a2b2c + 9ab3c + 3b4c + a4c +
a3bc + 3a3c2 ab(a + b)3 + a4c + 3a3bc + 3a2b2c + acb3,
which is true since the underlined terms on the left side together contain all the terms on the
right side.
7. If a, b, c are real numbers with a < b < c and
a + b + c = 6,
ab + bc + ca = 9,
then prove that 0 < a < 1 < b < 3 < c < 4.
Sol. We have
a + b + c = 6, (i)
ab + bc + ca = 9. (ii)
Substitute a + b = 6 – c in (ii) to get ab + c (6 - c) = 9. Hence,
ab = (c - 3)2. (iii)
[We get the perfect square on the right side of (iii) because of the particular number 6 and 9 in (i),
(ii).] Similarly,
ac = (b - 3)2, (iv)
2
bc = (a – 3) . (v)
Now c > 0, by (i), since a < b < c and (i), since a < b < c. If a = 0, then c = 3 by (iii) and b = 3 by (iv).
This is false since b < c by data. Hence a 0. Similarly, b 0. As a 0 and c 0, ac = (b - 3)2 0
and so ac > 0.Hence a > 0, as c > 0. As, b > ab is positive. Multiplying (iii), (iv), (v), we have (a - 3)2
(b - 3)2 (c - 3)2 = a2b2c2. Hence,
(a - 3)(b - 3)(c - 3) = abc + 9(a + b + c) – 3(ab + bc + ca) – 27 = abc > 0 (vi)
Since 0 < a < b < c, b 3 c > 3, and this contradicts (i). Thus b < 3.
Hence b – 3 < 0, a – 3 < 0 and so c – 3 > 0, by (vi). Thus c > 3.
If b 1, then a < 1 so that ab < 1 and so (c - 3)2 < 1, by (iii). Hence 2 < c < 4. But then a +b + c < 1 +
1 + 4 = 6, contradicting (i). Hence b > 1. If a 1, then ab > 1 and so (c - 3)2 > 1 by (iii). Then either c
< 2 or c > 4. If c < 2, then we get a < 2 and b < 2, contradicting (i). If c > 4, then again (i) is
contradicted since a 1 and b > 1. Thus
0 < a < 1 < b < 3 < c.
If c 4, then (c - 3)2 1 and so ab 1, by (iii). Hence a + b > 2 ab 2, so that a + b + c > 2 + 4 =
6, contradicting (i). Hence c < 4.
