Spring 2024 Calculus I Extra Note

Contents
1 Inequalities 1

2 Arithmetic Mean and Geometric Mean 2

1 Inequalities
Proposition 1. Let a, b ∈ R, and a ≤ b. Then ax ≤ bx for every nonnegative real number x.

Proof. b − a ≥ 0, so (b − a)x ≥ 0, i.e., ax ≤ bx.

Proposition 2. Let a, b ∈ R, and a < b. Then ax < bx for every positive real number x.

Proof. b − a > 0, so (b − a)x > 0, i.e., ax < bx.

Proposition 3. Let a1 , a2 , b1 , b2 be nonnegative real numbers. If a1 ≤ b1 and a2 ≤ b2 , then

a1 a2 ≤ b 1 b 2 .

Proof. a1 a2 ≤ b1 a2 , and b1 a2 ≤ b1 b2 , so a1 a2 ≤ b1 b2 .

Corollary 4. Let a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bn be nonnegative real numbers. If ai ≤ bi for all i, then

a1 · · · an ≤ b 1 · · · b n .

Proposition 5. Let a1 , a2 , b1 , b2 be nonnegative real numbers. If a1 < b1 and a2 < b2 , then

a1 a2 < b1 b2 .

Proof. Note that b1 and b2 are positive. Hence, if a1 = 0, then it is true. Suppose that a1 > 0.
Then a1 a2 < a1 b2 . On the other hand, a1 b2 < b1 b2 , so a1 a2 < b1 b2 .

Corollary 6. Let a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bn be nonnegative real numbers. If ai < bi for all i, then

a1 · · · an < b1 · · · bn .

Corollary 7. Let a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bn be nonnegative real numbers such that ai ≤ bi for all i. If

a1 · · · an = b1 · · · bn , then ai = bi for some i.

Proposition 8. Let a1 , a2 , b1 , b2 be positive real numbers. If a1 ≤ b1 and a2 < b2 , then a1 a2 < b1 b2 .

Proof. a1 a2 < a1 b2 and a1 b2 ≤ b1 b2 , so a1 a2 < b1 b2 .

Corollary 9. Let a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bn be positive real numbers such that ai ≤ bi for all i. If

ai < bi for some i, then a1 · · · an < b1 · · · bn .

Corollary 10. Let a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bn be positive real numbers such that ai ≤ bi for all i. If
a1 · · · an = b1 · · · bn , then ai = bi for all i.

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Spring 2024 Calculus I Extra Note

2 Arithmetic Mean and Geometric Mean

Proposition 11. For any nonnegative real numbers a and b,
√ a+b
ab ≤ ,
2
and the equality holds if and only if a = b.
Proof. Note that
√
0 ≤ (a − b)2 = a2 − 2ab + b2 4ab ≤ (a + b)2 2 ab ≤ a + b.

If a = b, then both sides are a, so the equality holds. Conversely, if the equality holds, then
√
2 ab = a + b 4ab = (a + b)2 0 = (a − b)2 a = b.

Proposition 12. For any nonnegative real numbers a, b, c, d,

a+b+c+d
(abcd)1/4 ≤ ,
4
and the equality holds if and only if a = b = c = d.
Proof. By Proposition 11,
√ √
q r a+b c+d
1/4 a+b c+d 2
+ 2 a+b+c+d
(abcd) = ab · cd ≤ · ≤ = .
2 2 2 4
If a = b = c = d, then both sides are a, so the equality holds. Conversely, suppose that the
equality holds. If any of a, b, c, d is zero, then the equality implies that all of a, b, c, d are zero, so
a = b = c = d. Suppose that a, b, c, d are positive. By Proposition 11,
√ √
a+b c+d
r a+b
+ c+d
q
+ a+b c+d a+b+c+d
2 2
≥ · ≥ ab · cd = (abcd)1/4 = = 2 2
,
2 2 2 4 2
so
√ √
a+b
r
+ c+d
q
2 2 a+b c+d
= · = ab · cd.
2 2 2
The first equality implies
a+b c+d
= , (∗)
2 2
while the second equality implies, by Corollary 10,
a+b √ c+d √
= ab and = cd,
2 2
which in turn implies a = b and c = d. (∗) then implies b = c.
Proposition 13. For any nonnegative real numbers a, b, c,
a+b+c
(abc)1/3 ≤ ,
3
and the equality holds if and only if a = b = c.

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Proof. If a = b = c = 0, then the inequality is clearly true, so assume that at least one of a, b, c
is positive. Then m := a+b+c
3
is positive, and
a+b+c+m
m= ,
4
so by Proposition 12,
(abcm)1/4 ≤ m abcm ≤ m4 abc ≤ m3 (abc)1/3 ≤ m.
If a = b = c, then both sides are a, so the equality holds. Conversely, if the equality holds,
then
(abc)1/3 = m abc = m3 abcm = m4 (abcm)1/4 = m,
so by Proposition 12, a = b = c = m.
Proposition 14. Let a1 , . . . , a2n be nonnegative real numbers. Then
a1 + · · · + a2n
n
(a1 · · · a2n )1/2 ≤ ,
2n
and the equality holds if and only if a1 = · · · = a2n .
Proof. We have seen that it is true for n = 1. Let n ≥ 2, and assume that it is true for n − 1.
Then
q
1/2n
(a1 · · · a2n ) = (a1 · · · a2n−1 )1/2n−1 (a2n−1 +1 · · · a2n )1/2n−1
r
a1 + · · · + a2n−1 a2n−1 +1 + · · · + a2n
≤ ·
2n−1 2n−1
a1 +···+a2n−1 a n−1 +···+a2n
2n−1
+ 2 +1 2n−1 a1 + · · · + a2n
≤ = , (∗)
2 2n
so it is true for n.
If a1 = · · · = a2n , then clearly the equality holds. Conversely, suppose that the equality
holds. If any of a1 , . . . , a2n is zero, then the equality implies that all of a1 , . . . , a2n are zero, so
a1 = · · · = a2n . Suppose that all of a1 , . . . , a2n are positive. From (∗),
r
a1 + · · · + a2n−1 a2n−1 +1 + · · · + a2n
q
1/2 n−1 1/2n−1
(a1 · · · a2n−1 ) (a2n−1 +1 · · · a2n ) = ·
2n−1 2n−1
a1 +···+a2n−1 a n−1 +···+a2n
2n−1
+ 2 +1 2n−1
= .
2
The first equality implies, by Corollary 10,
a1 + · · · + a2n−1
n−1 n−1 a2n−1 +1 + · · · + a2n
(a1 · · · a2n−1 )1/2 = and (a2n−1 +1 · · · a2n )1/2 = ,
2n−1 2n−1
which in turn implies, by asumption,
a1 = · · · = a2n−1 and a2n−1 +1 = · · · = a2n ; (∗∗)
on the other hand, the second equality implies
a1 + · · · + a2n−1 a2n−1 +1 + · · · + a2n
n−1
= ;
2 2n−1
then (∗∗) implies a2n−1 = a2n−1 +1 .

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Proposition 15. Let a1 , . . . , a2n +k be nonnegative real numbers, where k is an integer such that
0 < k < 2n . Then
1 a1 + · · · + a2n +k
(a1 · · · a2n +k ) 2n +k ≤ ,
2n + k
and the equality holds if and only if a1 = · · · = a2n +k .

Proof. If a1 = · · · = a2n +k = 0, then the inequality is clearly true, so assume that at least one of
a +···+a n
a1 , . . . , a2n +k is positive. Then m := 1 2n +k2 +k is positive, and

a1 + · · · + a2n +k + (2n − k)m

m= ,
2n+1
so by Proposition 14,
n −k 1 n −k n+1
(a1 · · · a2n +k m2 ) 2n+1 ≤ m a1 · · · a2n +k m2 ≤ m2
n +k
a1 · · · a2n +k ≤ m2
1
(a1 · · · a2n +k ) 2n +k ≤ m.

If a1 = · · · = a2n +k , then clearly the equality holds. Conversely, suppose that the equality
holds. Then
1 n +k n −k n+1
(a1 · · · a2n +k ) 2n +k = m a1 · · · a2n +k = m2 a1 · · · a2n +k m2 = m2
n −k 1
(a1 · · · a2n +k m2 ) 2n+1 = m,
n +k
so by Proposition 14 again, a1 = · · · = a2 = m.

Corollary 16 (A-G inequality). For any nonnegative real numbers a1 , . . . , an ,

a1 + · · · + an
(a1 · · · an )1/n ≤ ,
n
and the equality holds if and only if a1 = · · · = an .

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