Monday, April 20, 2015

Prove that x2+y2<1.

Let x,y>0 be such that x3+y3<xy. Prove that x2+y21.


We have to rate this as a 5 star intriguing Mathematical Olympiad Inequality problem because it is a special problem that is designed for the application of heuristic skills.

I am going to show some sublimely insightful approaches of intelligent people here and as always, I hope you will to learn something awesome today!

>Approach I:

From the given inequality

xy>x3+y3

Before we start, notice that we could glean one really useful information from the given inequality xy>x3+y3.

Since both x and y are greater than zero, the sum of two cubes of x and y must also be greater than zero, i.e. x3+y3>0.

This in turns suggests that xy>0 since xy>x3+y3>0.

We could also algebraically manipulate it such that we could also have

xy>x3+y3>x3>x3(y3+xy(xy))>x3x2y+xy2y3>x2(xy)+y2(xy)>(x2+y2)(xy)

Now, we can safely divide the inequality (*) by the quantity xy without changing the inequality sign since xy>0 and we obtain:

xy>(x2+y2)(xy)

1>x2+y2 and we're done.

The heuristic methods that this approach has used are:

a.) the recognition of xy>0,

b.) the recognition of x3+y3>x3, and

c.) the introducing of some positive value y3+xy(xy) into the expression x3(y3+xy(xy)) and simultaneously the recognition of x3>x3positive value.

Now, it's your turn to attempt at this problem and I can be sure to tell you this problem can be solved differently. 

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