Given three identical $n$- faced dice whose corresponding faces are identically numbered with arbitrary integers. Prove that if they are tossed at random, the probability that the sum of the bottom three face numbers is divisible by three is greater than or equal to $\frac{1}{4}$.
Problem
Source: USAMO 1979 Problem 3
Tags: probability, inequalities, inequalities unsolved
11.05.2012 03:10
22.06.2013 17:38
Let $p,q,r:p+q+r=1$ be probabilities of faces $0,1,2$ mod 3 as in the above solution. The three rolls are either congruent mod 3, with probability $p^3+q^3+r^3$ or equivalent to 0, 1, 2 mod 3 in some order, with probability $\sum_{\mathrm{sym}}pqr=6pqr$. Then \[ p^3+q^3+r^3+6pqr \geq \frac14 \] \[ \Leftrightarrow 4(p^3+q^3+r^3+6pqr) \geq (p+q+r)^3 \] \[ \Leftrightarrow p^3+q^3+r^3+6pqr \geq \sum_{\mathrm{sym}}p^2q \] which follows from Schur's Inequality ($p^3+q^3+r^3+3pqr\geq\sum_{\mathrm{sym}}p^2q$) and $pqr\geq0$. Equality holds at $p=q=0.5,q=0$ and permutations.
06.07.2015 15:53
Prove that if $x,y,z>0$ and $x+y+z=1$ .then $$x^3+y^3+z^3+\frac{15}{4}xyz \geq \frac{1}{4},$$ $$x^2+y^2+z^2+\frac{9}{2}xyz \geq \frac{1}{2},$$ $$x^4+y^4+z^4+\frac{19}{8}xyz \geq \frac{1}{8}.$$