MHB Can You Meet the Sine Function Challenge?

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The discussion centers on proving that if the sum of the sines of three angles \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) is at least \(\frac{3}{2}\), then the sum of the sines of those angles each shifted by \(-\frac{\pi}{6}\) is non-negative. Participants explore the properties of the sine function and its behavior under transformations. The challenge emphasizes the relationship between the original sine values and their shifted counterparts. The proof requires understanding the periodicity and symmetry of the sine function. Ultimately, the goal is to establish the inequality based on the initial condition provided.
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Let $a,\,b$ and $c$ be real numbers such that $\sin a+\sin b+\sin c\ge \dfrac{3}{2}$. Prove that

$\sin \left(a-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)+\sin \left(b-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)+\sin \left(c-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)\ge 0$.
 
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Assume for contradiction that $\sin \left(a-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)+\sin \left(b-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)+\sin \left(c-\dfrac{\pi}{6}\right)< 0$

Then by the addition and subtraction formulas, we have

$\dfrac{1}{2}(\cos a+\cos b+\cos c)>\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(\sin a+\sin b+\sin c)\ge \dfrac{3\sqrt{3}}{4}$

It follows that

$\cos a+\cos b+\cos c>\dfrac{3\sqrt{3}}{2}$

which implies that

$\begin{align*}\sin \left(a+\dfrac{\pi}{3}\right)+\sin \left(b+\dfrac{\pi}{3}\right)+\sin \left(c+\dfrac{\pi}{3}\right)&=\dfrac{1}{2}(\sin a+\sin b+\sin c)+\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(\cos a+\cos b+\cos c)\\&=\dfrac{1}{2}\cdot \dfrac{3}{2}+\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\cdot \dfrac{3\sqrt{3}}{2}\\&=3\end{align*}$

which is impossible because $\sin x\le 1$.
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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