P 0.1.
If a, b, c are nonnegative real numbers such that a + b + c = 3, then
p p p
8(a2 + bc) + 9 + 8(b2 + ca) + 9 + 8(c 2 + a b) + 9 ≥ 15.
(Vasile Cîrtoaje, 2013)
Solution. Let q = a b + bc + ca and
A = (3a − b − c)2 + 8q, B = (3b − c − a)2 + 8q, C = (3c − a − b)2 + 8q.
Since
8(a2 + bc) + 9 = 8(a2 + q) + 9 − 8a(b + c) = 8(a2 + q) + 9 − 8a(3 − a)
= (4a − 3)2 + 8q = (3a − b − c)2 + 8q = A,
we can rewrite the inequality as follows
Xp
A ≥ 15,
X p
[ A − (3a + b + c)] ≥ 0,
X 2bc − ca − a b
p ≥ 0,
A + 3a + b + c
X b(c − a) c(b − a)
p +p ≥ 0,
A + 3a + b + c A + 3a + b + c
X c(a − b) X c(b − a)
p + p ≥ 0,
B + 3b + c + a A + 3a + b + c
X p p p
c(a − b)( C + 3c + a + b)[ A − B + 2(a − b)] ≥ 0,
p 4(a + b − c)
X
2
c(a − b) ( C + 3c + a + b) p p + 1 ≥ 0.
A+ B
Without loss of generality, assume that a ≥ b ≥ c. Since a + b − c > 0, it suffices
to show that
p 4(c + a − b)
2
b(a − c) ( B + 3b + c + a) p p +1 ≥
A+ C
p 4(a − b − c)
2
a(b − c) ( A + 3a + b + c) p p −1 .
B+ C
This inequality follows from the inequalities
b2 (a − c)2 ≥ a2 (b − c)2 ,
p p
a( B + 3b + c + a) ≥ b( A + 3a + b + c),
4(c + a − b) 4(a − b − c)
p p +1≥ p p − 1.
A+ C B+ C
Write the second inequality as
a2 B − b2 A
p p + (a − b)(a + b + c) ≥ 0.
a B+b A
Since
a2 B − b2 A = (a − b)(a + b + c)(a2 + b2 − 6a b + bc + ca) + 8q(a2 − b2 )
≥ (a − b)(a + b + c)(a2 + b2 − 6a b) ≥ −4a b(a − b)(a + b + c),
it suffices to show that
−4a b
p p + 1 ≥ 0.
a B+b A
p p p p p p
Indeed, since A > 8q ≥ 2 a b and B ≥ 8q ≥ 2 a b, we have
p p p p p
a B + b A − 4a b > 2(a + b) a b − 4a b = 2 a b(a + b − 2 a b) ≥ 0.
The last inequality holds if
2(a − b − c)
1≥ p p .
B+ C
p p
Clearly, it suffices to show that B ≥ a and C ≥ a. We have
B − a2 = 8q − 2a(3b − c) + (3b − c)2 ≥ 8a b − 2a(3b − c) = 2a(b + c) ≥ 0
and
C − a2 = 8q − 2a(3c − b) + (3c − b)2 ≥ 8a b − 2a(3c − b) = 2a(5b − 3c) ≥ 0.
The equality holds for a = b = c = 1, and also for a = 3 and b = c = 0 (or any
cyclic permutation).
