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Exercise 1735Algebra › InequalitiesOlympiadAdded 3 Nov 2026

Nesbitt's inequality via Cauchy-Schwarz

#Nesbitt#Cauchy-Schwarz#Engel form

Statement

Prove Nesbitt's inequality
ab+c+bc+a+ca+b≥32\frac{a}{b+c}+\frac{b}{c+a}+\frac{c}{a+b}\ge\frac32
using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in Engel form.

Hint

Engel form: ∑xi2yi≥(∑xi)2∑yi\sum\frac{x_i^2}{y_i}\ge\frac{(\sum x_i)^2}{\sum y_i}. Write ab+c=a2a(b+c)\frac{a}{b+c}=\frac{a^2}{a(b+c)}.

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Solution

Engel form.
∑cycab+c=∑cyca2a(b+c)≥(a+b+c)2a(b+c)+b(c+a)+c(a+b).\sum_{\text{cyc}}\frac{a}{b+c}=\sum_{\text{cyc}}\frac{a^2}{a(b+c)}\ge\frac{(a+b+c)^2}{a(b+c)+b(c+a)+c(a+b)}.

Denominator.
a(b+c)+b(c+a)+c(a+b)=2(ab+bc+ca).a(b+c)+b(c+a)+c(a+b)=2(ab+bc+ca).

Bound.
∑ab+c≥(a+b+c)22(ab+bc+ca).\sum\frac{a}{b+c}\ge\frac{(a+b+c)^2}{2(ab+bc+ca)}.

Conclude. Using (a+b+c)2=a2+b2+c2+2(ab+bc+ca)≥3(ab+bc+ca)(a+b+c)^2=a^2+b^2+c^2+2(ab+bc+ca)\ge3(ab+bc+ca) (since a2+b2+c2≥ab+bc+caa^2+b^2+c^2\ge ab+bc+ca), we get
(a+b+c)22(ab+bc+ca)≥3(ab+bc+ca)2(ab+bc+ca)=32.\frac{(a+b+c)^2}{2(ab+bc+ca)}\ge\frac{3(ab+bc+ca)}{2(ab+bc+ca)}=\frac32.

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