Maths WorkshopMaths problems with full solutions
Exercise 1326Algebra › InequalitiesOlympiadAdded 5 Nov 2026

Muirhead's idea with weighted AM-GM

#Muirhead#majorization#weighted AM-GM

Statement

Let a,b,c>0a,b,c>0. Prove that
a5+b5+c5 ≥ abc (a2+b2+c2).a^5+b^5+c^5\ \ge\ abc\,(a^2+b^2+c^2).

Hint

Write a3bc=(a5)3/5(b5)1/5(c5)1/5a^3bc=(a^5)^{3/5}(b^5)^{1/5}(c^5)^{1/5} and use weighted AM-GM.

Show solutionHide solution

Solution

Idea. The exponent vector (5,0,0)(5,0,0) majorises (3,1,1)(3,1,1): each term a3bca^3bc is a weighted geometric mean of a5,b5,c5a^5,b^5,c^5.

Weighted AM-GM. With weights 35,15,15\frac35,\frac15,\frac15,
a3bc=(a5)3/5(b5)1/5(c5)1/5≤3a5+b5+c55.a^3bc=(a^5)^{3/5}(b^5)^{1/5}(c^5)^{1/5}\le\frac{3a^5+b^5+c^5}5.
The same holds for b3cab^3ca and c3abc^3ab.

Summation.
abc(a2+b2+c2)=a3bc+b3ca+c3ab≤5(a5+b5+c5)5=a5+b5+c5.abc(a^2+b^2+c^2)=a^3bc+b^3ca+c^3ab\le\frac{5(a^5+b^5+c^5)}5=a^5+b^5+c^5.
Equality iff a=b=ca=b=c.

Remark. Muirhead's theorem says that ∑symaα1bα2cα3≥∑symaβ1bβ2cβ3\sum_{\rm sym}a^{\alpha_1}b^{\alpha_2}c^{\alpha_3}\ge\sum_{\rm sym}a^{\beta_1}b^{\beta_2}c^{\beta_3} whenever α\alpha majorises β\beta. Each instance can be proved exactly as above.

Lesson. An inequality between symmetric sums of monomials of the same degree is an application of weighted AM-GM: find the weights that turn the smaller monomial into a geometric mean of the larger ones.