Inequalities

There are 47 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Inequalities
Tet-Trouble
problem

Tet-Trouble

Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
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Is it possible to have a tetrahedron whose six edges have lengths 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 units?
Not Continued Fractions
problem

Not Continued Fractions

Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
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Which rational numbers cannot be written in the form x + 1/(y + 1/z) where x, y and z are integers?
Quadratic Harmony
problem

Quadratic Harmony

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Find all positive integers a and b for which the two equations: x^2-ax+b = 0 and x^2-bx+a = 0 both have positive integer solutions.
Tetra Inequalities
problem

Tetra Inequalities

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Can you prove that in every tetrahedron there is a vertex where the three edges meeting at that vertex have lengths which could be the sides of a triangle?
Diverging
problem

Diverging

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Show that for natural numbers x and y if x/y > 1 then x/y>(x+1)/(y+1}>1. Hence prove that the product for i=1 to n of [(2i)/(2i-1)] tends to infinity as n tends to infinity.
Reciprocals
problem

Reciprocals

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Prove that the product of the sum of n positive numbers with the sum of their reciprocals is not less than n^2.
Power Up
problem

Power Up

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Show without recourse to any calculating aid that 7^{1/2} + 7^{1/3} + 7^{1/4} < 7 and 4^{1/2} + 4^{1/3} + 4^{1/4} > 4 . Sketch the graph of f(x) = x^{1/2} + x^{1/3} + x^{1/4} -x
Big, Bigger, Biggest
problem

Big, Bigger, Biggest

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Which is the biggest and which the smallest of $2000^{2002}, 2001^{2001} \text{and } 2002^{2000}$?
Square Mean
problem

Square Mean

Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
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Is the mean of the squares of two numbers greater than, or less than, the square of their means?
Without Calculus
problem

Without Calculus

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Given that u>0 and v>0 find the smallest possible value of 1/u + 1/v given that u + v = 5 by different methods.