Olympiad problems

2020 IMO Shortlist, A3

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]

1983 Czech and Slovak Olympiad III A, 2

Tags: geometric inequality , inequality , geometry , inequalities

Given a triangle $ABC$, prove that for every inner point $P$ of the side $AB$ the inequality $$PC\cdot AB<PA\cdot BC+PB\cdot AC$$ holds.

1976 IMO Shortlist, 2

Tags: inequality , convexity , sequence , recurrence relation

Let $a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_n, a_{n+1}$ be a sequence of real numbers satisfying the following conditions: \[a_0 = a_{n+1 }= 0,\]\[ |a_{k-1} - 2a_k + a_{k+1}| \leq 1 \quad (k = 1, 2,\ldots , n).\] Prove that $|a_k| \leq \frac{k(n+1-k)}{2} \quad (k = 0, 1,\ldots ,n + 1).$

2020 IMC, 5

Tags: calculus , differential equation , inequality , function

Find all twice continuously differentiable functions $f: \mathbb{R} \to (0, \infty)$ satisfying $f''(x)f(x) \ge 2f'(x)^2.$

2024 Belarus Team Selection Test, 1.3

Tags: inequality , algebra

Prove that for any real numbers $a,b,c,d \geq \frac{1}{3}$ the following inequality holds: $$\sqrt{\frac{a^6}{b^4+c^3}+\frac{b^6}{c^4+d^3}+\frac{c^6}{d^4+a^3}+\frac{d^6}{a^4+b^3}}\geq \frac{a+b+c+d}{4}$$ [i]D. Zmiaikou[/i]

2024 Sharygin Geometry Olympiad, 10.3

Tags: geo , geometry , inequality

Let $BE$ and $CF$ be the bisectors of a triangle $ABC$. Prove that $2EF \leq BF + CE$.

2000 District Olympiad (Hunedoara), 1

Tags: inequalities , inequality , algebra

[b]a)[/b] Show that $ \frac{n}{2}\ge \frac{2\sqrt{x} +3\sqrt[3]{x}+\cdots +n\sqrt[n]{x}}{n-1} -x, $ for all non-negative reals $ x $ and integers $ n\ge 2. $ [b]b)[/b] If $ x,y,z\in (0,\infty ) , $ then prove the inequality $$ \sum_{\text{cyc}} \frac{x}{(2x+y+z)^2+4} \le 3/16 $$

2005 Federal Math Competition of S&M, Problem 1

Tags: inequality , inequalities

If $x,y,z$ are positive numbers, prove that $$\frac x{\sqrt{y+z}}+\frac y{\sqrt{z+x}}+\frac z{\sqrt{x+y}}\ge\sqrt{\frac32(x+y+z)}.$$

1980 IMO, 2

Tags: algebra , recurrence relation , sequence , inequality

Define the numbers $a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_n$ in the following way: \[ a_0 = \frac{1}{2}, \quad a_{k+1} = a_k + \frac{a^2_k}{n} \quad (n > 1, k = 0,1, \ldots, n-1). \] Prove that \[ 1 - \frac{1}{n} < a_n < 1.\]

2019 Balkan MO Shortlist, A3

Tags: inequality

Let $a,b,c$ be real numbers such that $0 \leq a \leq b \leq c$ and $a+b+c=ab+bc+ca >0.$ Prove that $\sqrt{bc}(a+1) \geq 2$ and determine the equality cases. (Edit: Proposed by sir Leonard Giugiuc, Romania)

2009 India National Olympiad, 6

Tags: quadratic , algebra , polynomial , inequality

Let $ a,b,c$ be positive real numbers such that $ a^3 \plus{} b^3 \equal{} c^3$.Prove that: $ a^2 \plus{} b^2 \minus{} c^2 > 6(c \minus{} a)(c \minus{} b)$.

2009 JBMO Shortlist, 5

Tags: inequality , algebra

$\boxed{\text{A5}}$ Let $x,y,z$ be positive reals. Prove that $(x^2+y+1)(x^2+z+1)(y^2+x+1)(y^2+z+1)(z^2+x+1)(z^2+y+1)\geq (x+y+z)^6$

1983 IMO Shortlist, 2

Tags: number theory , sum of divisors , inequality , divisor

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Let $\sigma(n)$ be the sum of the natural divisors $d$ of $n$ (including $1$ and $n$). We say that an integer $m \geq 1$ is [i]superabundant[/i] (P.Erdos, $1944$) if $\forall k \in \{1, 2, \dots , m - 1 \}$, $\frac{\sigma(m)}{m} >\frac{\sigma(k)}{k}.$ Prove that there exists an infinity of [i]superabundant[/i] numbers.

2019 Balkan MO Shortlist, A5

Tags: inequality , algebra

Let $a,b,c$ be positive real numbers, such that $(ab)^2 + (bc)^2 + (ca)^2 = 3$. Prove that \[ (a^2 - a + 1)(b^2 - b + 1)(c^2 - c + 1) \ge 1. \] [i]Proposed by Florin Stanescu (wer), România[/i]

2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina Junior BMO TST, 2

Tags: nonnegative , inequality , inequalities

Prove inequality, with $a$ and $b$ nonnegative real numbers: $\frac{a+b}{1+a+b}\leq \frac{a}{1+a} + \frac{b}{1+b} \leq \frac{2(a+b)}{2+a+b}$

1967 IMO Longlists, 2

Tags: factorial , inequality

Prove that \[\frac{1}{3}n^2 + \frac{1}{2}n + \frac{1}{6} \geq (n!)^{\frac{2}{n}},\] and let $n \geq 1$ be an integer. Prove that this inequality is only possible in the case $n = 1.$

1979 IMO Longlists, 33

Tags: trigonometry , inequality , geometric inequality , trigonometric identities , inequalities

Show that $\frac{20}{60} <\sin 20^{\circ} < \frac{21}{60}.$

2016 German National Olympiad, 6

Tags: cyclic function , function , inequality , maximum , algebra

Let \[ f(x_1,x_2,x_3,x_4,x_5,x_6,x_7)=x_1x_2x_4+x_2x_3x_5+x_3x_4x_6+x_4x_5x_7+x_5x_6x_1+x_6x_7x_2+x_7x_1x_3 \] be defined for non-negative real numbers $x_1,x_2,\dots,x_7$ with sum $1$. Prove that $f(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_7)$ has a maximum value and find that value.

2015 Serbia National Math Olympiad, 5

Tags: inequality , inequalities

Let $x,y,z$ be nonnegative positive integers. Prove $\frac{x-y}{xy+2y+1}+\frac{y-z}{zy+2z+1}+\frac{z-x}{xz+2x+1}\ge 0$

2014 IFYM, Sozopol, 8

Tags: algebra , inequality , triangle inequality , inequalities

Prove that, if $a,b,c$ are sides of a triangle, then we have the following inequality: $3(a^3 b+b^3 c+c^3 a)+2(ab^3+bc^3+ca^3 )\geq 5(a^2 b^2+a^2 c^2+b^2 c^2 )$.

2011 IFYM, Sozopol, 3

Tags: algebra , inequality

Let $a=x_1\leq x_2\leq ...\leq x_n=b$. Prove the following inequality: $(x_1+x_2+...+x_n )(\frac{1}{x_1} +\frac{1}{x_2} +...+\frac{1}{x_n} )\leq \frac{(a+b)}{4ab} n^2$.

2021 Greece Junior Math Olympiad, 1

Tags: algebra , inequality

If positive reals $x,y$ are such that $2(x+y)=1+xy$, find the minimum value of expression $$A=x+\frac{1}{x}+y+\frac{1}{y}$$

2021 Brazil Team Selection Test, 4

Tags: algebra , inequality , inequalities

[i]Version 1[/i]. Let $n$ be a positive integer, and set $N=2^{n}$. Determine the smallest real number $a_{n}$ such that, for all real $x$, \[ \sqrt[N]{\frac{x^{2 N}+1}{2}} \leqslant a_{n}(x-1)^{2}+x . \] [i]Version 2[/i]. For every positive integer $N$, determine the smallest real number $b_{N}$ such that, for all real $x$, \[ \sqrt[N]{\frac{x^{2 N}+1}{2}} \leqslant b_{N}(x-1)^{2}+x . \]

2019 India Regional Mathematical Olympiad, 3

Tags: am-gm , inequality , inequalities

Let $a,b,c$ be positive real numbers such that $a+b+c=1$. Prove that $$\frac{a}{a^2+b^3+c^3}+\frac{b}{b^2+a^3+c^3}+\frac{c}{c^2+a^3+b^3}\leq\frac{1}{5abc}$$

2022 JBMO Shortlist, A6

Tags: inequality , shortlist , absolute value , algebra

Let $a, b,$ and $c$ be positive real numbers such that $a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = 3$. Prove that $$\frac{a^2 + b^2}{2ab} + \frac{b^2 + c^2}{2bc} + \frac{c^2 + a^2}{2ca} + \frac{2(ab + bc + ca)}{3} \ge 5 + |(a - b)(b - c)(c - a)|.$$