THE GENERALIZED WILKINS’ INEQUALITY

ZHI-HUA ZHANG AND ZHEN-GANG XIAO

Abstract. In this paper, the generalization of Wilkins’ inequality is deduced, and some known
results are obtained.

1. Introduction
In 1969, O.Bottema [1] noted the following Wilkins’ triangle inequality:
Theorem 1.1. If A, B, C be the angles of triangle ABC, then
√
C 2 3
(1.1) sin A sin B sin ≤
2 9
with equality holding if and only if triangle ABC is a regular triangle.
In this paper, we give a generalization of Wilkins’ triangle inequality (1.1), and by its application,
some known results are obtained.

2. Main Results
Pn
Theorem 2.1. Let mi ≥ 1, xi > 0, αi ∈ (0, π) (i = 1, 2, . . . , n, n > 2), and i=1 αi = θ ≤ π, then
n
s !k n
X m2i αi X
(2.1) xi 1 + 2 2 · sin ≤ xi
λ xi mi
i=1 i=1
if 0 < k ≤ 1, and the reverse inequality holds if k < 0. With equality holding if and only if
λ= m αi
xi tan mi (i = 1, 2, · · · , n), where λ is a positive root of the following equation
i

n
X λxi
(2.2) mi arctan =θ
mi
i=1

Proof. Set a function

n
X λxi
(2.3) f (x) = mi arctan − θ.
mi
i=1
It can easily be seen that f is a continuous and monotone increasing function in the interval [0, +∞).
Because f (0) = −θ < 0, limλ→+∞ f (x) = π2 ni=1 mi − θ > 0, therefore the equation (2.2) can
P
only hold for positive roots.
βi
Let β i = mi arctan λx mi
mi , then λ = xi tan mi , and β i > 0(i = 1, 2, . . . , n).
i

From (2.2), we have

X n
β i = θ.
i=1

Date: July,12,2003.
1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 26D15.
Key words and phrases. Wilkins’ inequality, generalization, triangle, Arithmetic-Geometric mean inequality.
This paper was typeset using AMS-LATEX.
1
2 ZH.-H. ZHANG AND ZH.-G. XIAO

Set x, x0 ∈ (0, π), by using Taylor’s formula, we have

1
sin x = sin x0 + (x − x0 ) cos x0 − (x − x0 )2 sin ξ,
2
where ξ is between x0 and x.
Pay attention to sin x0 > 0, sin ξ > 0, then
sin x ≤ sin x0 + (x − x0 ) cos x0
or
sin x x − x0
≤1+
sin x0 tan x0
with equality holding if only if x = x0 .
αi βi
Let x = m i
, x0 = mi
, we have
αi
sin mi
αi − β i αi − β i
βi
≤1+ βi
=1+
sin mi tan λxi
mi mi
If 0 < k ≤ 1, we obtain
αi
!k k
sin m

i
αi − β i
βi
≤ 1+ .
sin m λxi
i
Pn
Let
Pn i = 1, 2, . . . , n, by using the weighted Arithmetic-Geometric mean inequality, and i=1 αi =
i=1 β i = θ, we have
n αi
!k n
sin m αi − β i k
X X  
i
xi βi
≤ xi 1 +
sin m λxi
i=1 i i=1
  k
αi −β i
P
n n n
X x
i=1 i 1 + λxi X
≤ xi  Pn  = xi
i=1 i=1 xi i=1

from
−1/2  − 12
m2i

βi 2 βi
sin = 1 + cot = 1+ 2 ,
mi mi λxi
and if 0 < k ≤ 1, the proof of inequality (2.1) is completed. By all appearances, the reverse
inequality holds if k < 0. With equality holding if and only if αi = β i = mi arctan λxmi , or
i

mi αi
λ= tan (i = 1, 2, . . . , n) .
xi mi
Thus, the proof of Theorem 2.1 is complete.
Theorem 2.2. Let mi ≥ 1, xi > 0, αi ∈ (0, π) (i = 1, 2, . . . , n), and ni=1 αi = θ ≤ π, then
P
n n 
m2i

xi α i
Y Y −xi
(2.4) sin ≤ 1+ 2 2 2
mi λ xi
i=1 i=1
mi αi
With equality holding if and only if λ = xi tg mi (i = 1, 2, . . . , n), where λ is a positive root of
equation (2.2).
Proof. From Theorem 2.1,
n
!1/r n n
!
api i
X Y X
lim pi ari = where pi = 1
r→0
i=1 i=1 i=1
and using standard arguments, the proof of Theroem 2.2 is complete.
 THE GENERALIZED WILKINS’ INEQUALITY 3

3. Some Particular Triangle Inequalities

The following proposition holds
Proposition 3.1. Let mi > 0, αi > 0 (i = 1, 2, . . . , n), and ni=1 αi = θ ≤ π, then
P
n n  
k αi k P θ
X X
(3.1) sin ≤ mi sin n ,
mi i=1 mi
i=1 i=1
if 0 < k ≤ 1, and
n  
Y
mi αi Pn θ
(3.2) sin ≤ sin i=1 mi Pn .
mi i=1 mi
i=1
With both equalities holding if and only if α1 : m1 = α2 : m2 = · · · = αn : mn .
 
Proof. Let xi = mi ≥ 1, from Theorem 2.1 and Theorem 2.2, we have λ = tan Pn θ , and the
i=1 mi
inequalities (3.1) and (3.2).
Proposition 3.2. Let xi , αi ∈ R+ (i = 1, 2, 3, 4), and α1 + α2 + α3 + α4 = π, then
p p
(3.3) (x1 + x2 )(x1 + x3 )(x1 + x4 ) sin α1 + (x2 + x1 )(x2 + x3 )(x2 + x4 ) sin α2
p p
+ (x3 + x1 )(x3 + x2 )(x3 + x4 ) sin α3 + (x4 + x1 )(x4 + x2 )(x4 + x3 ) sin α4
n
!3
X 2

≤ xi
i=1

x21 x22
(3.4) p +p
(x1 + x2 )(x1 + x3 )(x1 + x4 ) sin α1 (x2 + x1 )(x2 + x3 )(x2 + x4 ) sin α2
x23 x24
+p +p
(x3 + x1 )(x3 + x2 )(x3 + x4 ) sin α3 (x4 + x1 )(x4 + x2 )(x4 + x3 ) sin α4
n
!1
X 2

≤ xi
i=1
v
4 4
u
4
u X !P4i=1 xi ,
Y Y Y
sinxi αi ≤
x
(xi + xj )xi +xj
u
(3.5) xi i t xi
i=1 i=1 i=1 1≤i≺j≤4

with several equalities holding if and only if x1 : x2 : x3 : x4 = tan α1 : tan α2 : tan α3 : tan α4 .
Proof. Let m1 = m2 = m3 = m4 = 1, n = 4, θ = π, k = 1 and k = −1, then
r
x1 + x2 + x3 + x4
λ=
(x1 + x2 )x3 x4 + x1 x2 (x3 + x4 )
and the standard arguments produce there inequality of Proposition3.2, with their equalities holding
if and only if λ = tanxiαi (i = 1, 2, 3, 4), i.e.x1 : x2 : x3 : x4 = tan α1 : tan α2 : tan α3 : tan α4 .The
proof of Proposition3.2 is completed.
Proposition 3.3. If x, y, z, t > 0, and αi ∈ R+ (i = 1, 2, 3, 4), α1 + α2 + α3 + α4 = π, then
1
(xy + zt)(xz + yt)(xt + yz) /2

(3.6) x sin α1 + y sin α2 + z sin α3 + t sin α4 ≤
xyzt
with equality holding if and only if x cos α1 = y cos α2 = z cos α3 = t cos α4 .
4 ZH.-H. ZHANG AND ZH.-G. XIAO

The inequality (3.6) is obtained by Xue-Zhi Yang in 1992 (see [2]).

Proof. Let
p
x= (x1 + x2 )(x1 + x3 )(x1 + x4 ),
p
y= (x2 + x1 )(x2 + x3 )(x1 + x4 ),
p
z= (x3 + x1 )(x3 + x2 )(x3 + x4 ),
p
t= (x4 + x1 )(x4 + x2 )(x4 + x3 )
then p
xy + zt = (x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 ) (x1 + x3 )(x1 + x4 )(x2 + x3 )(x2 + x4 ).
We similarly define xz + yt and xt + yz to obtain
(xy + zt)(xz + yt)(xt + yz) = (x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 )3 xyzt
From inequality (3.4), we have inequality (3.6), with equality holding if and only if xi = u·tan αi (i =
1, 2, 3, 4). From Proposition 3.2, we obtain
p
x = (x1 + x2 )(x1 + x3 )(x1 + x4 )
p
= u3 (tan α1 + tan α2 )(tan α1 + tan α3 )(tan α1 + tan α4 )
s
sin(α1 + α2 ) · sin(α1 + α3 ) · sin(α1 + α4 )
= u3 · .
cos3 α1 cos α2 cos α3 cos α4
Rearranging we obtain
s
sin(α1 + α2 ) · sin(α1 + α3 ) · sin(α1 + α4 )
x cos α1 = u3 · .
cos α1 cos α2 cos α3 cos α4
Similarly we have
s
sin(α1 + α2 ) · sin(α2 + α3 ) · sin(α2 + α4 )
y cos α2 = u3 ·
cos α1 cos α2 cos α3 cos α4
and another two formulas for z and t. Pay attention to α1 + α2 + α3 + α4 = π, we have
sin(α1 + α2 ) = sin(α3 + α4 ),
sin(α1 + α3 ) = sin(α2 + α4 ),
sin(α1 + α4 ) = sin(α2 + α3 )
Thus, the inequality (3.6) holds with equality holding if and only if
x cos α1 = y cos α2 = z cos α3 = t cos α4 .
This completes the proof.
Proposition 3.4. Let x, y, z > 0, and in every triangle we have the inequalities
s
(x + y + z)3
r r r
x y z
(3.7) sin A + sin B + sin C ≤
y+z z+x x+y (x + y)(y + z)(z + x)
s
x y z xx y y xz (x + y + z)x+y+z
(3.8) sin A · sin B · sin C ≤
(x + y)x+y (y + z)y+z (z + x)z+x
 THE GENERALIZED WILKINS’ INEQUALITY 5

with both equalities holding if and only if x : y : z = tan A : tan B : tan C or

sin2 A sin2 B sin2 C
= = .
x(y + z) y(z + x) z(x + y)
The inequalities (3.7) and (3.8) were obtained by Ke-Chang Yang in 1990 (see [3]).
Proof. Let x4 = α4 = 0 or n = 3, m1 = m2 = m3 = 1. Proposition 3.4 follows from Proposition 3.2
or Theorem 2.1 with both equalities holding if and only if x : y : z = tan A : tan B : tan C, or
sin2 A sin2 B sin2 C
= =
x(y + z) y(z + x) z(x + y)
because
2 sin A sin B sin C
tan A = .
(sin2 B + sin2 C − sin2 A)

Proposition 3.5. If k, u, v, w > 0, and

1 1 1 2
(3.9) 2
+ 2 + 2 =
u +k v +k w +k k
in every triangle, we have the inequality
1p 2
(3.10) u sin A + v sin B + w sin C ≤ (u + k)(v 2 + k)(w2 + k)
k
with equality holding if and only if
u2 + k v2 + k w2 + k
sin A = sin B = sin C
u v w
or
u cos A = v cos B = w cos C.
Proposition 3.5 was obtained by Ke-Chang Yang in 1987 (see [4]).
Proof. Let s s
r
kx ky kz
u= , v= , and w = .
y+z z+x x+y
It is easy obtain (3.9), and from inequality (3.7), we have (3.10), with equality holding if and only
if
u2 + k v2 + k w2 + k
sin A = sin B = sin C
u v w
or
u cos A = v cos B = w cos C
This completes the proof.
The proofs of the following propositions will be left to the readers.
Proposition 3.6. Let x, y, z > 0, in every triangle we have the inequalities
sin A sin B sin C x+y+z
√ 2 +√ 2 +√ 2 ≤p
y+z z+x x+y (x + y)(y + z)(z + x)
and
A B C xx y y z z
sinx · siny · sinz ≤p
2 2 2 (x + y)x+y (y + z)y+z (z + x)z+x
with both equalities holding if and only if x : y : z = tan A2 : tan B2 : tan C2 .
6 ZH.-H. ZHANG AND ZH.-G. XIAO

Proposition 3.7. Let λ1 , λ2 , λ3 > 0, in every triangle we have the inequality

A B C
2λ2 λ3 cos + 2λ3 λ1 cos + 2λ1 λ2 cos ≤ λ21 + λ22 + λ23
2 2 2
with equality holding if and only if λ1 : λ2 : λ3 = cos 2 : cos 2 : cos C2 .
A B

Proposition 3.8. Let x, y, z > 0, in every triangle we have the inequalities

r r s
(x + y + z)3
r
2x + z 2y + z z C
sin A + sin B + 2 sin ≤
2y + z 2x + z x+y 2 (x + y)(2x + z)(2y + z)
and s
C 4x+y x2x y 2y xz (x + y + z)x+y+z
sinx A · siny B · sinz ≤
2 (x + y)x+y (2x + z)2x+z (2y + z)2y+z
with equality holding if and only if x : y : z = tan A : tan B : 2 tan C2 .
Proposition 3.9. Let m ≥ 1, u > 0, in every triangle we have the inequalities
p A p B p C
1 + v 2 sin + 1 + v 2 sin + u 1 + 4v 2 sin ≤2+u
m m 2m
and
A B C −u
sin · sin · sinu ≤ (1 + v 2 )(1 + 4v 2 ) /2 ,
m m 2m
with equality holding if and only if A = B = m arctan v1 , where
 r 
1 π 2 π
v= (2 + u) cot + (2 + u)2 cot + 8u .
4 2m 2m
Proposition 3.10. Let u > 0, in every triangle we have the inequality
2
sin A + sin B + u · sin C ≤ 2(1 − v 2 ) /3 (1 − 2v 2 )−1
√
with equality holding if and only if A = B = arccos v, where v = 2u(1 + 1 + 8u2 )−1 .

4. Triangle Inequalities for the Sides and Area

Let a, b, c be the sides of a triangle ABC, and S the area, then the following proposition holds
Proposition 4.1. Let x, y, z > 0, in every triangle we have the inequality
s
xx y y xz (x + y + z)x+y+z
(4.1) (2S)x+y+z ≤ · ay+z bz+x cx+y
(x + y)x+y (y + z)y+z (z + x)z+x
with equality holding if and only if
a2 b2 c2
= = .
x(y + z) y(z + x) z(x + y)
The inequality (4.1) was obtained by Ke-Chang Yang in 1991 (see [5]).
Proof. This follows from Proposition 3.4, Law of Sines and 4RS = abc. This completes the proof.
Let x = y = z = 1, the inequality (4.1) is the well-known Pŏlyá-Szegó’s inequality:
Proposition 4.2. The following inequality holds
√
3 2
(4.2) S≤ (abc) 3 ,
4
with equality holding if and only if the triangle ABC is an equilateral triangle.
 THE GENERALIZED WILKINS’ INEQUALITY 7

References
[1] O.Bottema,R.Z.Djordjević,R.R. Janić,D.S. Mitrinović, P.M. Vasić. Geometric Inequalities. Wolters-Noordho- Pub-
lishing, Groningen, 1969.
[2] X.-Zh. Yang. On an Inequality of Plance Quadrangle. Chinese Elementary Investigate Corpus. Henan People Press.
Henan, P.R.C.,1992. (Chinese)
[3] K.-Ch. Yang. The Maxmizing of Weighted Sum for Angle Sinusoidal Function of Triangle. Hunan ShuXueTongX-
ing,1990(4). (Chinese)
[4] K.-Ch. Yang. The Generalized for a Triangle Inequality. Hunan ShuXueTongXing,1987(1). (Chinese)
[5] K.-Ch. Yang. On an Weighted Inequality for the Sides and the Area of the Triangle. Math.Oly. Hunan People
Press. Hunan, P.R.C.,1992. (Chinese)

(Zh.-H. Zhang) Zixing Educational Research Section, Chenzhou, Hunan 423400,P.R.China.

E-mail address: zxzh1234@163.com

(Zh.-G. Xiao) Hunan Institute of science and Technology, Yueyang, Hunan 423400,P.R.China.
E-mail address: xzgzzh@163.com