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Exercise 2231Algebra › InequalitiesOlympiadAdded 4 Nov 2026

IMO 2001: a/√(a² + 8bc)

#IMO#weighted Jensen#convexity#normalisation

Statement

Let a,b,c>0a,b,c>0. Prove that
aa2+8bc+bb2+8ca+cc2+8ab≥1.\frac a{\sqrt{a^2+8bc}}+\frac b{\sqrt{b^2+8ca}}+\frac c{\sqrt{c^2+8ab}}\ge1.

Hint

Denote Xa=a2+8bcX_a=a^2+8bc, etc., and s=a+b+cs=a+b+c. The function t↦t−1/2t\mapsto t^{-1/2} is convex. Apply Jensen with the weights as,bs,cs\frac as,\frac bs,\frac cs.

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Solution

Weighted Jensen. For a convex ff and weights wi≥0w_i\ge0 with ∑wi=1\sum w_i=1: ∑wif(ti)≥f(∑witi)\sum w_if(t_i)\ge f\left(\sum w_it_i\right). Take f(t)=t−1/2f(t)=t^{-1/2}, which is convex on (0,∞)(0,\infty) since f′′(t)=34t−5/2>0f''(t)=\frac34t^{-5/2}>0, with wa=asw_a=\frac as and ta=Xat_a=X_a:
∑as⋅1Xa≥1∑asXa.\sum\frac as\cdot\frac1{\sqrt{X_a}}\ge\frac1{\sqrt{\sum\frac as X_a}}.
Multiplying by ss,
∑aXa≥s3/2∑aXa.\sum\frac a{\sqrt{X_a}}\ge\frac{s^{3/2}}{\sqrt{\sum aX_a}}.

It suffices to prove s3≥∑aXa=a3+b3+c3+24abcs^3\ge\sum aX_a=a^3+b^3+c^3+24abc. Now
s3−(∑a3+24abc)=3(∑syma2b−6abc)≥0,s^3-\left(\sum a^3+24abc\right)=3\left(\sum_{\rm sym}a^2b-6abc\right)\ge0,
because ∑syma2b≥6abc\sum_{\rm sym}a^2b\ge6abc.

Equality iff a=b=ca=b=c.

Remark. The official solutions use Hölder's inequality or the bound aa2+8bc≥a4/3a4/3+b4/3+c4/3\frac a{\sqrt{a^2+8bc}}\ge\frac{a^{4/3}}{a^{4/3}+b^{4/3}+c^{4/3}}.

Lesson. A sum ∑aXa\sum\frac a{\sqrt{X_a}} with the *numerator also a weight* suggests Jensen with weights proportional to the numerators.