Algebra 2.

5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2022

Cauchy-Bunyakovsky-Schwarz Inequality
p
1. (AHSME) Find the minimum value of x2 + y 2 if 5x + 12y = 60.

2. (ARML) If a, b, c, x, y, and z are real and a2 + b2 + c2 = 25, x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 36, and

a+b+c
ax + by + cz = 30, compute x+y+z .

3. (AHSME) Find the smallest integer n such that (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )2 ≤ n(x4 + y 4 + z 4 ) for

h
all real numbers x, y, and z.

4. (Purple Comet HS) Find the maximum possible value of

at
√ √ √
9 x + 8 y + 5 z,

where x, y, and z are positive real numbers satisfying 9x + 4y + z = 128.

eM
5. (Purple Comet HS) If a, b, and c are non-negative
√real numbers
√ satisfying a+b+c = 400,
find the maximum possible value of 2a + b + 2b + c + 2c + a.

6. (Mandelbrot) The positive real numbers w, x, y and z satisfy w + 2x + 3y + 4z = 5.

What is the minimum possible value of w2 + 21 x2 + 13 y 2 + 14 z 2 ?
om
7. (Baltic Way) Let P (x)
be a polynomial with a non-negative coefficients. Prove that
1
if the inequality P x P (x) ≥ 1 holds for x = 1, then this inequality holds for each
positive x.

8. (Nordic) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. Prove that

2a2 2b2 2c2

es

+ + ≥ a + b + c.
b+c c+a a+b

9. (Ireland) Let a, b, c, and d be positive real numbers whose sum is 1. Prove that
Aw

a2 b2 c2 d2 1
+ + + ≥ ,
a+b b+c c+d d+a 2
with equality if, and only if, a = b = c = d = 1/4.

10. (APMO) Let a1 , a2 , · · · , an , b1 , b2 , · · · , bn be positive real numbers such that a1 + a2 +

· · · + an = b1 + b2 + · · · + bn . Show that

a21 a22 a2n a1 + a2 + · · · + an

+ + ··· + ≥
a1 + b 1 a2 + b 2 an + b n 2

11. (British MO) Let x, y and z be positive real numbers.

1 1 1
(i) If x + y + z ≥ 3, is it necessarily true that x
+ y
+ z
≤ 3?

1
Algebra 2.5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2022

1 1 1
(ii) If x + y + z ≤ 3, is it necessarily true that x
+ y
+ z
≥ 3?

12. (Junior Balkan MO) Find all real numbers a, b, c, d such that

a + b + c + d = 20,
ab + ac + ad + bc + bd + cd = 150.

13. (Baltic Way) Prove that for positive a, b, c, d

h
a+c b+d c+a d+b
+ + + ≥4

at
a+b b+c c+d d+a

14. (IMO) The nonnegative real numbers x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , x5 , a satisfy the following relations:
5 5 5

eM
X X X
3 2
ixi = a, i xi = a , i 5 x i = a3 .
i=1 i=1 i=1

What are the possible values of a?

15. (IMO SL) Prove that

om
a b c d 2
+ + + ≥
b + 2c + 3d c + 2d + 3a d + 2a + 3b a + 2b + 3c 3
for all positive real numbers a, b, c, d.

16. (IMO SL) Let w, x, y, z are non-negative reals such that wx + xy + yz + zw = 1. Show
that
es

w3 x3 y3 z3 1
+ + + ≥ .
x+y+z w+y+z w+x+z w+x+y 3
17. (Balkan MO) Let a, b, c, d ∈ [− π2 , π2 ] be real numbers such that
Aw

10
sin a + sin b + sin c + sin d = 1 and cos 2a + cos 2b + cos 2c + cos 2d ≥ .
3
Prove that a, b, c, d ∈ 0, π6 .
 

18. (Putnam) Determine the minimum value of

2  t
s 2  2
2 4
(r − 1) + −1 + −1 + −1
r s t

for all real numbers r, s, t with 1 ≤ r ≤ s ≤ t ≤ 4.

Pn
19. P
(Baltic Way) Let a1 , a2 , .P
. . , an be positive real numbers such that i=1 a3i = 3 and
n 5 n 3
a
i=1 i = 5. Prove that i=1 ai > 2 .

2
Algebra 2.5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2022

20. (Baltic Way) Prove that if the real numbers a, b and c satisfy a2 + b2 + c2 = 3 then

a2 b2 c2 (a + b + c)2
+ + ≥
2 + b + c 2 2 + c + a2 2 + a + b 2 12
When does the inequality hold?

21. (SPMO Qualifier Round) The real numbers x0 , x1 , . . . , xn are known to satisfy x0 >

h
x1 > · · · > xn . Prove the inequality
1 1 1
x0 + + + ··· + ≥ xn + 2n.

at
x0 − x1 x1 − x2 xn−1 − xn

22. (Baltic Way) For any positive numbers a, b, c prove the inequalities
1 1 1 2 2 2 9
+ + ≥
a b c
+ +
a+b b+c c+a
≥

eM
a+b+c
.

23. (Junior Balkan MO) Prove that for all positive real numbers a, b, c the following in-
equality takes place
1
+
1
+
1
≥
27
.
om
b(a + b) c(b + c) a(c + a) 2(a + b + c)2

24. (Purple Comet HS) Let x and y be two real numbers such that 2 sin x sin y + 3 cos y +
6 cos x sin y = 7. Find tan2 x + 2 tan2 y.

25. (Balkan MO) Let a, b, c, d, e, f be six real numbers with sum 10, such that
es

(a − 1)2 + (b − 1)2 + (c − 1)2 + (d − 1)2 + (e − 1)2 + (f − 1)2 = 6.

Find the maximum possible value of f .

Aw

26. (Balkan MO) Prove that

X p
(x + y) (z + x)(z + y) ≥ 4(xy + yz + zx),
cyc

for all positive real numbers x, y and z.

27. (Balkan MO) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. Prove the inequality

a2 b 2 c 2 4(a − b)2
+ + ≥a+b+c+ .
b c a a+b+c
When does equality occur?
a a2 b2 c2
28. (Nordic) Let a, b, and c be positive real numbers. Prove: b
+ cb + c
a
≤ b2
+ c2
+ a2
.

3
Algebra 2.5 AwesomeMath Summer Program 2022

29. (IMO) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that abc = 1. Prove that
1 1 1 3
3
+ 3 + 3 ≥ .
a (b + c) b (c + a) c (a + b) 2
30. (Korea) Which values of positive constant k satisfy the following inequality for all
positive real a, b, and c?
a b c 1
+ + ≥ .

h
c + kb a + kc b + ka 2007
31. (Baltic Way) Prove that for any positive x1 , x2 , . . . , xn , y1 , y2 , . . . , yn the inequality

at
n
X 1 4n2
≥ Pn 2
xy
i=1 i i i=1 (xi + yi )

holds.

1
k1
+ ··· +
eM
32. (Putnam) Find all positive integers n, k1 , . . . , kn such that k1 + · · · + kn = 5n − 4 and
1
kn
= 1.

33. (USAJMO) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. Prove that

om
a3 + 3b3 b3 + 3c3 c3 + 3a3 2
+ + ≥ (a2 + b2 + c2 ).
5a + b 5b + c 5c + a 3
34. (IMO) If a, b, and c are sides of a triangle, prove that
a2 b(a − b) + b2 c(b − c) + c2 a(c − a) ≥ 0
and determine when there is equality.
es

35. (IMO)
(a) Prove that
x2 y2 z2
Aw

+ + ≥ 1.
(x − 1)2 (y − 1)2 (z − 1)2
for all real numbers x, y, z, each different from 1, and satisfying xyz = 1.
(b) Prove that equality is achieved for infinitely many triples of rational numbers x, y
and z, each different from 1, and satisfying xyz = 1.
36. (IMO SL) Let a1 , a2 , . . . , a100 be nonnegative real numbers such that a21 +a22 +. . .+a2100 =
1. Prove that
12
a21 · a2 + a22 · a3 + . . . + a2100 · a1 < .
25
37. (IMO) Let x, y, z be three positive reals such that xyz ≥ 1. Prove that
x5 − x2 y5 − y2 z5 − z2
+ + ≥ 0.
x5 + y 2 + z 2 x2 + y 5 + z 2 x2 + y 2 + z 5