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Inequalities
lgx57   5
N Apr 18, 2025 by jjmmxx
Let $0 < a,b,c < 1$. Prove that

$$a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-a)<1$$
5 replies
lgx57
Mar 19, 2025
jjmmxx
Apr 18, 2025
Inequalities
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lgx57
31 posts
#1
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Let $0 < a,b,c < 1$. Prove that

$$a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-a)<1$$
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invisibleman
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#2
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Seeing the expressions, we can rightly think of Jensen's inequality. Let $f(x)=x-x^2$ and since $f"(x)=-2<0$ the function is concave, so based on Jensen's inequality
$$\frac{f(a)+f(b)+f(c)}{3}\le f\left( \frac{a+b+c}{3} \right)$$that is, it remains to check that
$$\frac{a+b+c}{3}-{{\left( \frac{a+b+c}{3} \right)}^{2}}<1$$which is obvious, since $x^2-x+1>0$ for all real $x$.
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sqing
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#3
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lgx57 wrote:
Let $0 < a,b,c < 1$. Prove that

$$a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-a)<1$$
All-Russian Olympiad 1990
https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h494969p3275740
https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h494492p11835829
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lgx57
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#4
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invisibleman wrote:
Seeing the expressions, we can rightly think of Jensen's inequality. Let $f(x)=x-x^2$ and since $f"(x)=-2<0$ the function is concave, so based on Jensen's inequality
$$\frac{f(a)+f(b)+f(c)}{3}\le f\left( \frac{a+b+c}{3} \right)$$that is, it remains to check that
$$\frac{a+b+c}{3}-{{\left( \frac{a+b+c}{3} \right)}^{2}}<1$$which is obvious, since $x^2-x+1>0$ for all real $x$.

How do you change $a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-b)$ to $a(1-a)+b(1-b)+c(1-c)$ ?

If you use rearrangement inequality, WLOG $a \le b \le c$,then:
$a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-a)>a(1-a)+b(1-b)+c(1-c)$
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by lgx57, Apr 16, 2025, 7:43 AM
Reason: Wrong
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pooh123
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#5
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How about this different approach:

We have:
\[
a(1 - b) + b(1 - c) + c(1 - a) = (1 - b)(1 - c) + a(b + c - 1) - 1.
\]
Since \( 0 < b, c < 1 \), we have \( 1 - b > 0 \) and \( 1 - c > 0 \), so
\[
(1 - b)(1 - c) < 1.
\]
Also, \( a(b + c - 1) \leq |a||b + c - 1| \leq 1 \cdot 1 = 1 \), so
\[
(1 - b)(1 - c) + a(b + c - 1) - 1 < 1 + 1 - 1 = 1.
\]
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by pooh123, Apr 16, 2025, 1:45 PM
Reason: typo
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jjmmxx
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#6
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0 < (1-a)(1-b)(1-c) = 1 - (a+b+c) + (ab+bc+ca) - abc < 1 - (a+b+c-ab-bc-ca).

Therefore, a(1-b)+b(1-c)+c(1-a) = a+b+c-ab-bc-ca < 1.
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