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A sample problem
Theorems to know
1) Let a1 , a2 , a3 , , an be a sequence of nonegative real numbers. Prove the following set of inequalities
atleast twice for each consecutive pair (with smoothing in each direction). This is known as RMS-AM-GMHM and more generally as the power mean inequality.
v
uX
n
X
u n 2
v
u
a
ai
uY
i
t
u n
i=1
i=1
n
t
ai n n .
n
n
Y 1
i=1
a
i=1 i
2) Prove (preferably twice) the Cauchy Schwarz inequality which states that for 2 sequences of real numbers
a1 , a2 , , an and b1 , b2 , bn ,
! n
!
!2
n
n
X
X
X
2
2
ai
bi
ai bi .
i=1
i=1
i=1
3) For non-negative real number a, b, c, d such that a b and c d prove the following inequality.
bd + ac bc + ad
This is known as the rearrangement inequality.
4) Prove that if you have an ordered sequence on non-negative real numbers a1 , a2 , , an and you substitute
a1 +an
for a1 and an , then after an infinite number of operations the sequence consists of n equal numbers.
2
This is known as smoothing.
Problems
Look for when you can impose a condition on a problem by multiplying/scaling all variables by a constant.
Also look out for problems in which a substitution of variables would help.
1) Let a, b, c, d be non-negative real numbers such that a + b + c + d = 4. Prove the following inequality.
16 + 2abcd 3(ab + bc + cd + ac + ad + bd).
2) Let a, b, c, d, e 0 satisfy that a + b + c + d + e = 5. Prove that
4(a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 + e2 ) + 5abcde 25.
3) For n 2 let a1 , a2 , . . . an be positivereal numbers such that
2
(a1 + a2 + + an ) a11 + a12 + + a1n n + 21
Prove that
max(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) 4 min(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ).
4) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that
a2 + b2 + c2 + (a + b + c)2 4.
Prove that
ab+1
bc+1
ca+1
(a+b)2 + (b+c)2 + (c+a)2 3.
5)
Prove the
following
inequality
for
any 2 ordered
sequences of real numbers a1 , a2 , , an and b1 , b2 , , bn .
n
n
n
n
X
X
X
X
bi
ai
ai bn+1i
ai bi
i=1 n2 i=1
i=1 n
This is known as the Chebyshev inequality.
i=1
j=1 j
Prove
that,
for
all n 1,
Pn
1
2
a
>
1
+ 12 + + n1 .
j=1 j
4
9) Prove that the following inequality holds for all positive real numbers a, b, c.
b
c
a
+ b2 +8ca
+ c2 +8ab
1.
a2 +8bc
10) Prove that for all a, b, c R+ , we have:
a2 +b2
a2 +c2
b2 +c2
a+b + a+c + b+c a + b + c.
11) Prove that
xi R+
0;
n
Y
v
n
u n
uY
n
(1 + xi ) 1 + t
xi .
i=1
i=1
12) Prove Nesbitts inequality which states that for non-negative integers a, b, c
a
b
c
3
b+c + a+c + a+b 2 .