Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

Let aa, bb, cc, dd, xx, yy denote the lengths of the sides ABAB, BCBC, CDCD, DADA and the diagonals ACAC, BDBD of a cyclic quadrilateral ABCDABCD, respectively.

(1a+1c)2+(1b+1d)28(1x2+1y2). \left(\frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{c}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{d}\right)^2 \ge 8 \left(\frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2}\right).

Solution

(Solution by Y. Dubovik, U. Kazlouski.) By the Cosine Law for the triangles DABDAB and DCBDCB,
y2=a2+d22adcosA,(1) y^2 = a^2 + d^2 - 2ad \cos A, \quad (1)
y2=b2+c2+2bccosA.(2) y^2 = b^2 + c^2 + 2bc \cos A. \quad (2)
Multiplying (1) and (2) by bcbc and adad, respectively, and summing the obtained equalities, we get
(bc+ad)y2=(a2+d2)bc+(b2+c2)ad (bc + ad)y^2 = (a^2 + d^2)bc + (b^2 + c^2)ad
Figure 1
2adbc+2bcad=4abcd. \geq 2adbc + 2bcad = 4abcd.

8y22(bc+ad)abcd=2ad+2bc.(3) \frac{8}{y^2} \le \frac{2(bc + ad)}{abcd} = \frac{2}{ad} + \frac{2}{bc}. \quad (3)
In the same way we can obtain
8x22ab+2cd.(4) \frac{8}{x^2} \le \frac{2}{ab} + \frac{2}{cd}. \quad (4)
So,
8(1x2+1y2)2ad+2bc+2ab+2cd=2(1a+1c)(1b+1d)(1a+1c)2+(1b+1d)2, \begin{aligned} 8 \left( \frac{1}{x^2} + \frac{1}{y^2} \right) &\le \frac{2}{ad} + \frac{2}{bc} + \frac{2}{ab} + \frac{2}{cd} = 2 \left( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{c} \right) \left( \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{d} \right) \\ &\le \left( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{c} \right)^2 + \left( \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{d} \right)^2, \end{aligned}
as required.

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