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MAT2ANA/STA4ANA Practice Class 1

INEQUALITIES

RULE 1.
(∀a ∈ R) x < y ⇐⇒ x + a < y + a ⇐⇒ x − a < y − a.
(∀a ∈ R) x 6 y ⇐⇒ x + a 6 y + a ⇐⇒ x − a 6 y − a.
RULE 2.
x y
(∀a > 0) x < y ⇐⇒ ax < ay ⇐⇒ < .
a a
x y
(∀a > 0) x 6 y ⇐⇒ ax 6 ay ⇐⇒ 6 .
a a
x y
(∀b < 0) x < y ⇐⇒ bx > ba ⇐⇒ > .
b b
x y
(∀b < 0) x 6 y ⇐⇒ bx > by ⇐⇒ > .
b b

1. Using RULE 1 find numbers a and b such that a 6 2 + cos(x) 6 b. You must start with
a basic inequality concerning cos(x).

2. If 4 < x 6 11 find an inequality for 3 + 7x. Justify your answer using Rules 1 and 2.
1
3. Using RULE 1 and RULE 2 find an inequality or inequalities for x equivalent to < 1.
x+1
1 1
4. Use RULE 2 to find inequalities between and in each of the following cases.
a b
(a) a > b > 0.
(b) 0 > a > b.
(c) a > 0 > b.

5. For a > b > 0, prove that a2 > b2 > 0.

√ √
6. For positive a, b prove that a > b ⇒ a > b. Hint: prove the contrapositive using
Question 5.
From Question 5 and 6 we get the following useful result: suppose that
a, b > 0 (or a, b ≥ 0). Then
√ √ √ √
a≥b ⇔ a≥ b ⇔ a 2 ≥ b2 and a > b ⇔ a > b ⇔ a2 > b2 .

a+b √
7. Using the above result prove that for positive numbers a, b, > ab.
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ie. “Arithmetic mean is greater than or equal to Geometric mean”.
2 1 1
8. For positive numbers a, b the number c such that = + is called the harmonic mean
c a b
a+b √
of a, b. Prove that > ab > c (hierarchy of the means).
2