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Exercise 2160Algebra › InequalitiesL1Added 3 Nov 2026

A direct application of Hölder

#Hölder#powers#inequalities

Statement

Let a,b,c≥0a,b,c\ge0. Prove that
(a3+b3+c3)(a+b+c)≥(a2+b2+c2)2.(a^3+b^3+c^3)(a+b+c)\ge(a^2+b^2+c^2)^2.

Hint

Apply the Cauchy–Schwarz inequality to the vectors (a3/2,b3/2,c3/2)\bigl(a^{3/2},b^{3/2},c^{3/2}\bigr) and (a1/2,b1/2,c1/2)\bigl(a^{1/2},b^{1/2},c^{1/2}\bigr).

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Solution

Cauchy–Schwarz. For the two vectors u=(a3/2,b3/2,c3/2)u=\bigl(a^{3/2},b^{3/2},c^{3/2}\bigr) and w=(a1/2,b1/2,c1/2)w=\bigl(a^{1/2},b^{1/2},c^{1/2}\bigr),
⟨u,w⟩2≤∥u∥2 ∥w∥2.\langle u,w\rangle^2\le\|u\|^2\,\|w\|^2.
Now ⟨u,w⟩=∑a3/2⋅a1/2=∑a2=a2+b2+c2\langle u,w\rangle=\sum a^{3/2}\cdot a^{1/2}=\sum a^2=a^2+b^2+c^2, while ∥u∥2=∑a3\|u\|^2=\sum a^3 and ∥w∥2=∑a=a+b+c\|w\|^2=\sum a=a+b+c. Hence
(a2+b2+c2)2≤(a3+b3+c3)(a+b+c).(a^2+b^2+c^2)^2\le(a^3+b^3+c^3)(a+b+c).

Equality. Equality in Cauchy–Schwarz holds iff uu and ww are proportional. For a,b,c>0a,b,c>0, this means a3/2/a1/2=aa^{3/2}/a^{1/2}=a is constant, i.e. a=b=ca=b=c. (If some variables vanish, equality holds iff the nonzero ones are equal.)

Remark. The inequality is a special case of Hölder's inequality: for p=3/2p=3/2 and q=3q=3, applied to the products a3/2⋅a1/2a^{3/2}\cdot a^{1/2}. It is also the p=3p=3, r=1r=1 case of the power-mean inequality (ar+br+cr3)1/r≤(as+bs+cs3)1/s\bigl(\frac{a^r+b^r+c^r}{3}\bigr)^{1/r}\le\bigl(\frac{a^s+b^s+c^s}{3}\bigr)^{1/s} for r≤sr\le s.

Conclusion. (a3+b3+c3)(a+b+c)≥(a2+b2+c2)2(a^3+b^3+c^3)(a+b+c)\ge(a^2+b^2+c^2)^2, with equality iff a=b=ca=b=c (for positive a,b,ca,b,c).