Received 22/09/11

NEW REFINEMENTS OF THE NEUBERG-PEDOE

INEQUALITY

JIAN LIU

Abstract. In this note, by using elementary method, we prove new refine-

ments of the famous Neuberg-Pedoe inequality involving two triangles.

1. Introduction
In 1891, J.Neuberg [1] found the first interesting inequality concerning with
two triangles:
Let a, b, c denote the edge-lengths of the △ABC with area △, and let a′ , b′ , c′
denote the the edge-lengths of △A′ B ′ C ′ with area △′ . Then
H ≡ a2 (b′2 + c′2 − a′2 ) + b2 (c′2 + a′2 − b′2 ) + c2 (a′2 + b′2 − c′2 ) ≥ 16△△′ , (1.1)
with equality holds if and only if two triangles are similar.
In 1943, D.Pedoe [2] renewedly obtained inequality (1.1). Thereafter, many
mathematicians has been interested in this inequality, and it is called Neuberg-
Pedoe inequality. There exist a large number of research papers involving its
new proofs, various generalizations, variations and applications, etc. Some
related results with historical comments on the Neuberg-Pedoe inequality can
be found in [1] to [15]. We recall here several refinements.
In 1983, K.S.Poh [7] proved the following refinement of (1.1):
H ≥ E ≥ 16△△′ . (1.2)
where
X X X X 1/2
E= a2 a′2 − 2 a4 a′4 ,

equality of E ≥ 16△△′ holds if and only if

P
and denotes
P the′ cyclic sum. The
cot A = cot A , where A, A′ denote the interior angles of △ABC, △A′ B ′ C ′
P
respectively, etc.
In 1984, Chia-Kuei Peng [8] established the following sharpening of the
Neuberg-Pedoe inequality:
a2 + b2 + c2 ′2
 ′2
a + b′2 + c′2 2

H≥8 △ + ′2 △ . (1.3)
a2 + b2 + c2 a + b′2 + c′2
This result has also attracted much attention. For example, the authors of the
monograph [14] gave its refinement:
a2 + b2 + c2 ′2
 ′2
a + b′2 + c′2 2

H≥E≥8 △ + ′2 △ . (1.4)
a2 + b2 + c2 a + b′2 + c′2

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 51M16.

Key words and phrases. triangle, Neuberg-Pedoe inequality, inequality.
1
2 JIAN LIU

G.S. Leng and L.H. Tang [10] obtained the weighted generalization:
xa2 + yb2 + zc2 ′2
 ′2
xa + yb′2 + zc′2 2

H≥8 △ + ′2 △ , (1.5)
xa2 + yb2 + zc2 xa + yb′2 + zc′2
where x, y, z are arbitrary non-negative real numbers.
The purpose of this note is to establish the following refinements of the
Neuberg-Pedoe inequality:
Theorem 1. Let R and r denote the radius of circumcircle and incenter of
△ABC respectively, s the semi-perimeter. Let s′ denote the semi-perimeter of
△A′ B ′ C ′ . Other symbols are the same as above. Put
X
H1 = 32Rrs′2 − 8s′ a′ (s − b)(s − c),
X
H2 = 16Rrs′2 − 4 (s − b)(s − c)a′2 ,
X
H3 = 8 a(s − a)(s′ − b′ )(s′ − c′ ),
then
H ≥ H1 ≥ H2 ≥ H3 ≥ 16△△′ , (1.6)
with equalities if and only if △ABC and △A′ B ′ C ′ are similar.

2. Two lemmas
Lemma 1. Let p1 , p2 , p3 , q1 , q2 , q3 be real numbers, then the inequality:
p1 x2 + p2 y 2 + p3 z 2 > q1 yz + q2 zx + q3 xy (2.1)
holds for arbitrary real numbers x, y, z if and only if
p1 > 0, p2 > 0, p3 > 0, 4p2 p3 − q12 > 0, 4p3 p1 − q22 > 0, 4p1 p2 − q32 > 0,
and
M ≡ 4p1 p2 p3 − (q1 q2 q3 + p1 q12 + p2 q22 + p3 q32 ) > 0. (2.2)
If p1 > 0, p2 > 0, p3 > 0, q1 > 0, q2 > 0, q3 > 0, 4p2 p3 − q1 > 0, 4p3 p1 − q22 >
2

0, 4p1 p2 − q32 > 0 and p

M ≥ 0, then p the equality inp(2.1) holds if and only if
M = 0 and x : y : z = 4p2 p3 − q1 : 4p3 p1 − q22 : 4p1 p2 − q32 .
2

The above lemma is the decision theorem of ternary quadratic inequalities

and it can be easily proved by using discriminant analysis method, see [16]. An
important consequence which will be used below is the famous Wolstenholme
inequality (see [14, p.421]):
x2 + y 2 + z 2 ≥ 2(yz cos A + zx cos B + xy cos C), (2.3)
where A, B, C are angles of △ABC. Equality holds if and only if x : y : z = a :
b : c. In fact, note that the following known identity in the triangle:
cos2 A + cos2 B + cos2 C + 2 cos A cos B cos C = 1, (2.4)
Wolstenholme inequality (2.3) follows from Lemma 1 at once.
Wolstenholme inequality has several equivalent forms. Now we give its new
one:
Lemma 2. For any △ABC and real numbers x, y, z, the following inequality
holds: X X 2
x(y + z)(s − b)(s − c) ≤ Rr x (2.5)
with equality if and only if x : y : z = a : b : c.
 NEW REFINEMENTS OF THE NEUBERG-PEDOE INEQUALITY 3

Proof. We can easily check that

X X
x(y + z)(s − b)(s − c) = a(s − a)yz. (2.6)

Thus, inequality (2.5) is equivalent to

X X 2
a(s − a)yz ≤ Rr x . (2.7)

A s(s−a)
Since abc = 4Rrs and cos2 2 = bc , we have
A a(s − a)
cos2 = . (2.8)
2 4Rr
Further, (2.5) is equivalent to
X A X 2
4 yz cos2 ≤ x , (2.9)
2
which is equivalent with Wolstenholme (2.3). Clearly, the inequality condition
in (2.5) is the same as (2.3). This completes the proof of Lemma 2. 

3. Proof of the theorem

Proof. We first prove the first inequality of (1.6):
H ≥ H1 , (3.1)
Namely,
X h X i
a2 (b′2 + c′2 − a′2 ) − 32Rrs′2 − 8s′ a′ (s − b)(s − c) ≥ 0. (3.2)

By the fact abc = 4Rrs and the identity:

X X
a2 (b′2 + c′2 − a′2 ) = a′2 (b2 + c2 − a2 ), (3.3)

we need to prove that

X h X i
s a′2 (b2 + c2 − a2 ) − 8abcs′2 − 8ss′ a′ (s − b)(s − c) ≥ 0. (3.4)

To do so, we put s′ −Pa′ = x, s′ − b′ = y, s′ − c′ = z, then a′ = y + z, b′ =

z + x, c′ = x + y, s′ = x. Thus, (19) is equivalent to
X
s (y + z)2 (b2 + c2 − a2 )
 X 2 X X 
− 8abc x − 8s x (y + z)(s − b)(s − c) ≥ 0.

Substituting s = 12 (a + b + c) into the above, we have to prove

1X X X 2
a (y + z)2 (b2 + c2 − a2 ) − 8abc x
2X X X
+ a x (y + z)(c + a − b)(a + b − c) ≥ 0. (3.5)

This can be rewritten as follows:

m1 x2 + m2 y 2 + m3 z 2 − (n1 yz + n2 zx + n3 xy) ≥ 0, (3.6)
4 JIAN LIU

where
m1 = a a(b + c − a) + 2(b − c)2 ,
 

m2 = b b(c + a − b) + 2(c − a)2 ,

 

m3 = c c(a + b − c) + 2(a − b)2 ,

 

n1 = a3 + b3 + c3 + 8abc − 3bc(b + c) − a2 (b + c) − a(b2 + c2 ),

n2 = a3 + b3 + c3 + 8abc − 3ca(c + a) − b2 (c + a) − b(c2 + a2 ),
n3 = a3 + b3 + c3 + 8abc − 3ab(a + b) − c2 (a + b) − c(a2 + b2 ).
Then we can easily obtain
4m1 m2 m3 − (m1 m2 m3 + m1 n21 + m2 n22 + m3 n23 ) = 0, (3.7)
4m2 m3 − n21 3
= (a + b + c)(c + a − b)(a + b − c)(b + c − a) > 0, (3.8)
4m3 m1 − n22 = (a + b + c)(a + b − c)(b + c − a)(c + a − b)3 > 0, (3.9)
4m1 m2 − n23 = (a + b + c)(b + c − a)(c + a − b)(a + b − c)3 > 0.(3.10)
According to Lemma 1, inequality (3.6) is proved and the equality in (3.6) holds
if and only if x : y : z = (b + c − a) : (c + a − b) : (a + b − c). Hence, the equality
in (3.4) holds if and only if (s′ − a′ ) : (s′ − b′ ) : (s′ − c′ ) = (s − a) : (s − b) : (s − c),
namely a′ : b′ : c′ = a : b : c. Therefore, the equality in (3.1) holds if and only
if △ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ .
Secondly, we prove the second of inequality chain (1.6):
H1 ≥ H2 . (3.11)
It is easy to check that
h X i
H1 − H2 = 4 4Rrs′2 − a′ (b′ + c′ )(s − b)(s − c) . (3.12)

So we need to prove that

X
a′ (b′ + c′ )(s − b)(s − c) ≤ 4Rrs′2 . (3.13)
which is an evident consequence of Lemma 2. Obviously, the equalities in (3.13)
and (3.11) hold if and only if △ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ .
Next, we prove the third inequality of (1.6):
H2 ≥ H3 , (3.14)
Namely,
X X
16Rrs′2 − 4 (s − b)(s − c)a′2 ≥ 8 a(s − a)(s′ − b′ )(s′ − c′ ). (3.15)

As the way to prove inequality (3.4), we put s′ − a′ = x, s′ − b′ = y, s′ − c′ = z,

then inequality (3.15) is equivalent to
X 2 X X
4Rr x −4 (s − b)(s − c)(y + z)2 − 8 a(s − a)yz ≥ 0,

Multiplying both sides by 2s then using abc = 4Rrs, s = (a + b + c)/2, the

inequality becomes
X 2 X
8abc x − (a + b + c) (c + a − b)(a + b − c)(y + z)2
X
−4(a + b + c) a(b + c − a)yz ≥ 0,
 NEW REFINEMENTS OF THE NEUBERG-PEDOE INEQUALITY 5

That is
X X
2 a(c+ a− b)(a+ b− c)x2 − 2(b+ c− a)(c+ a− b)(a+ b− c) yz ≥ 0, (3.16)
or
(b + c − a) [(a + b − c)y − (c + a − b)z]2 ≥ 0,
X
(3.17)
which is obviously true.
There is equality in (3.17) only when x : y : z = (s − a) : (s − b) : (s − c).
Hence, equality in (3.14) occurs only if (s − a) : (s − a′ ) = (s − b) : (s′ − b′ ) =
(s − c) : (s′ − c′ ), this means △ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ .
Finally, we prove the following inequality:
H3 ≥ 16△△′ , (3.18)
or X
a(s − a)(s′ − b′ )(s′ − c′ ) ≥ 2△△′ , (3.19)
which is given in [9] by Zhen-Ping An. His proof is as follows:
In the equivalent form (2.9) of Wolstenholme inequality, we take
A A′ B A′ C C′
x = cos2 tan , y = cos2 tan , z = cos2 tan ,
2 2 2 2 2 2
and then make use of the well-known identity in △A B C : ′ ′ ′

X B′ C′
tan tan = 1, (3.20)
2 2
we get trigonometric inequality
X A A′ A B C
cos2 tan ≥ 4 cos cos cos . (3.21)
2 2 2 2 2
′
Further, using (2.8), △ = rs, cos A2 cos B2 cos C2 = 4R s
and tan A2 = △1 ′ (s′ −
b′ )(s′ − c′ ), we then get inequality (3.19). It is not difficult to know equality in
(3.18) is as (1.1).
This completes the proof of Theorem 1. 
p p p
Remark 3.1. It is well known that a(s − a), b(s − b), c(s − c) form a
triangle A0 B0 C0 with area 12 S (see [14]). If we substitute △ABC in Neuberg-
Pedoe inequalityp (1.1) by △A0p B0 C0 and substitute △A′ B ′ C ′ by triangle A′0 B0′ C0′
whose sides are a′ (s′ − a′ ), b′ (s′ − b′ ), c′ (s′ − c′ ) and its area is 12 S ′ . After
p

simple calculations we get the inequality (3.19). Therefore, inequality (3.19)

actually is a consequence of Neuberg-Pedoe inequality.
Remark 3.2. The equality H2 ≥ 16△△′ is actually equivalent to
a′2 b′2 c′2 R r ′ s′2
 
+ + ≤4 − ′ . (3.22)
s−a s−b s−c s s r
It seems to be difficult to prove this equality directly.
Remark 3.3. It is easy to show that equality H ≥ H3 is equivalent to the
following trigonometric inequality:
(cot B + cot C) cot A′ + (cot C + cot A) cot B ′ + (cot A + cot B) cot C ′
A′ B′
   
B C C A
≥ tan + tan tan + tan + tan tan
2 2 2 2 2 2
′
 
A B C
+ tan + tan tan . (3.23)
2 2 2
6 JIAN LIU

Remark 3.4. For the left hand side of (3.21), the author [17] has established
the following interesting extension:
X A′ A X A A′
sin2 cot ≥ cos2 tan , (3.24)
2 2 2 2
with equality if and only if the two triangles are similar. In fact, inequality
(3.24) is equivalent to the following weighted useful inequality with arbitrary
positive real numbers x, y, z (see [17],[18]):
s−a s−b s−c s(xa + yb + zc)
+ + ≥ . (3.25)
x y z yza + zxb + xyc
with equality if and only if x = y = z.

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East China Jiaotong University, Jiangxi province Nanchang City, 330013, China
E-mail address: [email protected]