[Math] How to prove the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality

discrete mathematicsinequality

I am following along with this bare-bones proof of the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality with two real numbers. I'm having difficulty understanding the logic behind this step:
$$
\frac{a}{2}+\frac{a}{2}< \frac{b}{2}+\frac{a}{2}\Rightarrow a< \frac{b+a}{2}
$$

How is the step of adding $\frac{a}{2}$ to both sides valid? Also, if you have a better/easier way of proving this, please let me know. Thanks!

Best Answer

Assume $0< a < b$.

The first thing we want to show for this proof is that given $$a<b,$$ we want $$a<\frac{a+b}{2} <b.$$ To do this, we show the left and right inequalities separately. Now, it is a rule of elementary algebra that addition preserves ordering, i.e. $$a+k < b+k$$ for all $k\in \mathbb{R}$. If we choose $k=\frac{a}{2}$ and apply this to $$\frac{a}{2} < \frac{b}{2},$$ then we have $$ \frac{a}{2} + \frac{a}{2} < \frac{b}{2} + \frac{a}{2} $$ so $$ a < \frac{a+b}{2}. $$ This is the left side of the inequality. To get the right side, we add $\frac{b}{2}$ to the same inequality: $$ \frac{a}{2} + \frac{b}{2} < \frac{b}{2} + \frac{b}{2} $$ so $$ \frac{a+b}{2} < b. $$ Combining these two inequalities we have $$ a< \frac{a+b}{2} < b $$ as desired.

For the remainder, we wish to show that $$ a < \sqrt{ab} < \frac{a+b}{2}. $$ First, the left side. Using the fact that $0<a<b$, we have $\sqrt{a}<\sqrt{b}$. Multiplying both sides by $\sqrt{a}$, we have $$ \sqrt{a}\sqrt{a} <\sqrt{ab} $$ $$ a < \sqrt{ab} $$ This is the left side. For the right, we use the fact that $$ 0 < (a-b)^2 = a^2 - 2ab + b^2 $$ so $$ ab < \frac{a^2 + b^2}{2}. $$ But because $a, b > 0$, $$ \sqrt{ab} < \frac{a + b}{2}. $$ This is the right side. Combining all of these, we finally have $$ 0<a<\sqrt{ab}<\frac{a+b}{2}<b. $$