Prove that $\frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2) \cdots (1-x_n)}{x_1 x_2 \cdots x_n} \geq (n-1)^n$ for $x_i > 0$ and $x_1 + \ldots + x_n = 1$

a.m.-g.m.-inequalitycontest-mathinequalityproducts

It is the problem 2.3 in Algebraic Inequalities by Sedrakyan & Sendrakyan.

Solution

I can't figure out how to prove the key inequality in the solution:

$$\frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2)}{x_1x_2} \geq \frac{(1-\frac{1}{n})(1-x_1 – x_2 + \frac{1}{n})}{\frac{1}{n}(x_1 + x_2 – \frac{1}{n})}$$

The problem 1.17 referenced in the solution had the following inequality:

$$\lambda(x_1 + x_2 – \lambda) \geq x_1x_2 \text{ for } x_1 \leq \lambda \leq x_2$$

Substituting $\frac{1}{n}$ for $\lambda$ we have $$\frac{1}{n}(x_1 + x_2 – \frac{1}{n}) \geq x_1x_2 \iff \frac{1}{x_1x_2} \geq \frac{1}{\frac{1}{n}(x_1 + x_2 – \frac{1}{n})}$$

The denominators are fine but we still don't have the full inequality and I'm not sure how to get to it. I imagine I must be missing something simple because otherwise the solution would spend more time on this inequality.

Best Answer

By AM-GM $$1-x_i=\sum_{k\neq i}x_k\geq(n-1)\sqrt[n-1]{\prod_{k\neq i}x_k}.$$ Thus, $$\prod_{i=1}^n(1-x_i)\geq(n-1)^n\prod_{i=1}^n x_i$$ and we are done!