Olympiad problems

2016 VJIMC, 1

Tags: inequality , inequalities

Let $a,b,c$ be positive real numbers such that $a + b + c = 1$. Show that $$\left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{bc}\right)\left(\frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{ca}\right)\left(\frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{ab}\right) \geq 1728$$

1967 IMO Shortlist, 5

Tags: algebra , vector , inequality , geometric inequality , 3d geometry

Prove that for an arbitrary pair of vectors $f$ and $g$ in the space the inequality \[af^2 + bfg +cg^2 \geq 0\] holds if and only if the following conditions are fulfilled: \[a \geq 0, \quad c \geq 0, \quad 4ac \geq b^2.\]

1979 IMO Shortlist, 11

Tags: inequality , maximization , calculus , optimization , lagrange

Given real numbers $x_1, x_2, \dots , x_n \ (n \geq 2)$, with $x_i \geq \frac 1n \ (i = 1, 2, \dots, n)$ and with $x_1^2+x_2^2+\cdots+x_n^2 = 1$ , find whether the product $P = x_1x_2x_3 \cdots x_n$ has a greatest and/or least value and if so, give these values.

2000 AMC 10, 22

Tags: diophantine , inequality

One morning each member of Angela's family drank an $ 8$-ounce mixture of coffee with milk. The amounts of coffee and milk varied from cup to cup, but were never zero. Angela drank a quarter of the total amount of milk and a sixth of the total amount of coffee. How many people are in the family? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 3\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 4 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 5\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 6 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 7$

2017 Pan-African Shortlist, I4

Tags: combinatorics , inequality , maximum value , minimum value , permutation

Find the maximum and minimum of the expression \[ \max(a_1, a_2) + \max(a_2, a_3), + \dots + \max(a_{n-1}, a_n) + \max(a_n, a_1), \] where $(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n)$ runs over the set of permutations of $(1, 2, \dots, n)$.

2012 IFYM, Sozopol, 4

Tags: algebra , inequality

Prove that if $x$, $y$, and $z$ are non-negative numbers and $x^2+y^2+z^2=1$, then the following inequality is true: $\frac{x}{1-x^2}+\frac{y}{1-y^2}+\frac{z}{1-z^2 }\geq \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{2}$

2021 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 4

Tags: inequality , algebra , inequalities

Let $a,b,c,d$ real numbers such that: $$ a+b+c+d=0 \text{ and } a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2 = 12 $$ Find the minimum and maximum possible values for $abcd$, and determine for which values of $a,b,c,d$ the minimum and maximum are attained.

1987 IMO Longlists, 33

Tags: rearrangement inequality , three variable inequality , triangle inequality , inequality

Show that if $a, b, c$ are the lengths of the sides of a triangle and if $2S = a + b + c$, then \[\frac{a^n}{b+c} + \frac{b^n}{c+a} +\frac{c^n}{a+b} \geq \left(\dfrac 23 \right)^{n-2}S^{n-1} \quad \forall n \in \mathbb N \] [i]Proposed by Greece.[/i]

2001 Slovenia National Olympiad, Problem 2

Tags: inequality , algebra

Tina wrote a positive number on each of five pieces of paper. She did not say which numbers she wrote, but revealed their pairwise sums instead: $17,20,28,14,42,36,28,39,25,31$. Which numbers did she write?

2022 JBMO Shortlist, A4

Tags: inequality , shortlist , algebra

Suppose that $a, b,$ and $c$ are positive real numbers such that $$a + b + c \ge \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c}.$$ Find the largest possible value of the expression $$\frac{a + b - c}{a^3 + b^3 + abc} + \frac{b + c - a}{b^3 + c^3 + abc} + \frac{c + a - b}{c^3 + a^3 + abc}.$$

2018 Azerbaijan JBMO TST, 1

Tags: inequality , algebra

Let $a, b, c $ be positive real numbers such that $abc = \frac {2} {3}. $ Prove that: $$\frac {ab}{a + b} + \frac {bc} {b + c} + \frac {ca} {c + a} \geqslant \frac {a+b+c} {a^3+b ^ 3 + c ^ 3}.$$

1969 IMO Longlists, 64

Tags: inequality , factorial , algebra

$(USS 1)$ Prove that for a natural number $n > 2, (n!)! > n[(n - 1)!]^{n!}.$

2024 Azerbaijan National Mathematical Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , inequality

Find all the real number triples $(x, y, z)$ satisfying the following system of inequalities under the condition $0 < x, y, z < \sqrt{2}$: $$y\sqrt{4-x^2y^2}\ge \frac{2}{\sqrt{xz}}$$ $$x\sqrt{4-x^2z^2}\ge \frac{2}{\sqrt{yz}}$$ $$z\sqrt{4-y^2z^2}\ge \frac{2}{\sqrt{xy}}$$.

1984 IMO Shortlist, 5

Tags: inequality , three variable inequality , calculus , maximization

Prove that $0\le yz+zx+xy-2xyz\le{7\over27}$, where $x,y$ and $z$ are non-negative real numbers satisfying $x+y+z=1$.

1959 AMC 12/AHSME, 25

Tags: inequalities , absolute value , inequality

The symbol $|a|$ means $+a$ if $a$ is greater than or equal to zero, and $-a$ if $a$ is less than or equal to zero; the symbol $<$ means "less than"; the symbol $>$ means "greater than." The set of values $x$ satisfying the inequality $|3-x|<4$ consists of all $x$ such that: $ \textbf{(A)}\ x^2<49 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ x^2>1 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 1<x^2<49\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ -1<x<7\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ -7<x<1 $

2021 Silk Road, 2

Tags: inequality , algebra

For every positive integer $m$ prove the inquality $|\{\sqrt{m}\} - \frac{1}{2}| \geq \frac{1}{8(\sqrt m+1)} $ (The integer part $[x]$ of the number $x$ is the largest integer not exceeding $x$. The fractional part of the number $x$ is a number $\{x\}$ such that $[x]+\{x\}=x$.) A. Golovanov

2021 Taiwan TST Round 1, A

Tags: algebra , inequality , 4-variable inequality , inequalities

Suppose that $a,b,c,d$ are positive real numbers satisfying $(a+c)(b+d)=ac+bd$. Find the smallest possible value of $$\frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{c}+\frac{c}{d}+\frac{d}{a}.$$ [i]Israel[/i]

2016 Balkan MO Shortlist, A1

Tags: algebra , inequality

Let $a, b,c$ be positive real numbers. Prove that $ \sqrt{a^3b+a^3c}+\sqrt{b^3c+b^3a}+\sqrt{c^3a+c^3b}\ge \frac43 (ab+bc+ca)$

2001 Moldova National Olympiad, Problem 2

Tags: inequality , optimization , inequalities

If $n\in\mathbb N$ and $a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n$ are arbitrary numbers in the interval $[0,1]$, find the maximum possible value of the smallest among the numbers $a_1-a_1a_2,a_2-a_2a_3,\ldots,a_n-a_na_1$.

2023 Brazil Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: inequalities , inequality , arithmetic mean , geometric mean , max

Show that for all positive real numbers $a, b, c$, we have that $$\frac{a+b+c}{3}-\sqrt[3]{abc} \leq \max\{(\sqrt{a}-\sqrt{b})^2, (\sqrt{b}-\sqrt{c})^2, (\sqrt{c}-\sqrt{a})^2\}$$

2021 Science ON grade X, 1

Tags: algebra , complex number , inequality

Consider the complex numbers $x,y,z$ such that $|x|=|y|=|z|=1$. Define the number $$a=\left (1+\frac xy\right )\left (1+\frac yz\right )\left (1+\frac zx\right ).$$ $\textbf{(a)}$ Prove that $a$ is a real number. $\textbf{(b)}$ Find the minimal and maximal value $a$ can achieve, when $x,y,z$ vary subject to $|x|=|y|=|z|=1$. [i] (Stefan Bălăucă & Vlad Robu)[/i]

2021 China Team Selection Test, 4

Tags: inequality , algebra

Suppose $x_1,x_2,...,x_{60}\in [-1,1]$ , find the maximum of $$ \sum_{i=1}^{60}x_i^2(x_{i+1}-x_{i-1}),$$ where $x_{i+60}=x_i$.

2023 China Northern MO, 2

Tags: inequality , inequalities , algebra

Let $ a,b,c \in (0,1) $ and $ab+bc+ca=4abc .$ Prove that $$\sqrt{a+b+c}\geq \sqrt{1-a}+\sqrt{1-b}+\sqrt{1-c}$$

2025 NEPALTST, 1

Tags: algebra , recurrence , inequality

Let the sequence $\{a_n\}_{n \geq 1}$ be defined by \[ a_1 = 1, \quad a_{n+1} = a_n + \frac{1}{\sqrt[2024]{a_n}} \quad \text{for } n \geq 1, \, n \in \mathbb{N} \] Prove that \[ a_n^{2025} >n^{2024} \] for all positive integers $n \geq 2$. $\textbf{Proposed by Prajit Adhikari, Nepal.}$

1967 IMO Longlists, 49

Tags: trigonometry , inequality , trigonometric inequality , minimum

Let $n$ and $k$ be positive integers such that $1 \leq n \leq N+1$, $1 \leq k \leq N+1$. Show that: \[ \min_{n \neq k} |\sin n - \sin k| < \frac{2}{N}. \]