Can You Prove This Inequality Involving Binomial Coefficients?

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SUMMARY

The inequality involving binomial coefficients, stated as \(\left(\frac{m}{m+n}\right)^m \left(\frac{n}{m+n}\right)^n {{m+n}\choose m}<1\) for all positive integers \(m\) and \(n\), was successfully proven by forum members MarkFL and Sudharaka. Their solutions utilized combinatorial identities and properties of binomial coefficients to establish the validity of the inequality. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding binomial coefficients in combinatorial proofs.

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Chris L T521
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Thanks again to those who participated in last week's POTW! Here's this week's problem!

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Problem: Prove that
\[\left(\frac{m}{m+n}\right)^m \left(\frac{n}{m+n}\right)^n {{m+n}\choose m}<1\]
for all $m,n\in\mathbb{Z}^+$.

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Hint:
Consider the term for $k=m$ in the binomial theorem expansion for $(x+y)^{m+n}$ for appropriate $x$ and $y$.

 
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This week's problem was correctly answered by MarkFL and Sudharaka. You can find MarkFL's solution below.

I would choose to begin with:

$$1=\left(\frac{m+n}{m+n} \right)^{m+n}=\left(\frac{m}{m+n}+\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^{m+n}$$

Using the binomial theorem, we may write:

$$1=\sum_{k=0}^{m+n}{m+n \choose k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k$$

Using the identity:

$${n \choose r}={n \choose n-r}$$

there results:

$$1=\sum_{k=0}^{m+n}{m+n \choose m+n-k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k$$

$$1=\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}{m+n \choose m+n-k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k+$$

$${m+n \choose m}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^n+\sum_{k=n+1}^{m+n}{m+n \choose m+n-k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k$$

Hence, we may state:

$${m+n \choose m}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^n=$$

$$1-\left(\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}{m+n \choose m+n-k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k+\sum_{k=n+1}^{m+n}{m+n \choose m+n-k}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m+n-k}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^k \right)<1$$
Thus, we may conclude:

$${m+n \choose m}\left(\frac{m}{m+n} \right)^{m}\left(\frac{n}{m+n} \right)^n<1$$

Shown as desired.
 

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