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I have a math homework where it's being asked to prove that :

$$\forall a \geq 0,\sqrt{a}\leq\frac{1+a}{2}$$

However, I don't have any idea how I should start this one...

Any idea ?

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    Do you know the arithmetic mean- geometric mean inequality? If so, you can apply it directly to $1$ and $a$.2012-09-04
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    No I don't already know this one.2012-09-04
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    I like the geometric proof as in http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7c/SemicircleMeans.png2012-09-04
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    Seems really nice though I can't understand why the line is $\sqrt{ab}$ long2012-09-04
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    @Skydreamer, all triangles with a vertex on the semicircle and basis the diameter are right triangles and the square of the height is the product of the two parts, which follows from Pythagoras's Theorem.2012-09-04

2 Answers 2

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Try expanding $$ (\sqrt a - 1)^2 \geq 0 $$

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    Well, it was really simple... Sorry for the beginner's question.2012-09-04
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    That's OK - I have learned that, no matter how much I think I know about inequalities and how to prove them, what I don't know is far greater.2012-09-04
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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inequality_of_arithmetic_and_geometric_means2012-09-04
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More generally, let $a,b\geq0$.

$$(a-b)^2 \geq0$$

$$a^2-2ab+b^2 \geq0$$

$$a^2+2ab+b^2 \geq 4ab$$

$$(a+b)^2 \geq 4ab$$

$$\left(\frac{a+b}{2}\right)^2 \geq ab$$

$$\frac{a+b}{2} \geq \sqrt{ab}$$