TITLE: Finding the maximum value of $ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+3cd$
QUESTION [8 upvotes]: If $a,b,c,d>0$ satisfy the condition ${ a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 }+{ c }^{ 2 }+{ d }^{ 2 }=1$, find the maximum value of $ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+3cd$.

I'm not progress in this inequality problem. Please help.
Thank you.

REPLY [2 votes]: Let $ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+3cd=k$.
Hence, $k>0$ and $ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+3cd=k(a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2)$ or 
$ka^2-(b+c+d)a+k(b^2+c^2+d^2)-bc-bd-3cd=0$.
Hence, $(b+c+d)^2-4k(k(b^2+c^2+d^2)-bc-bd-3cd)\geq0$ or
$(4k^2-1)b^2-2(2k+1)(c+d)b+(4k^2-1)(c^2+d^2)-2(6k+1)cd\leq0$.
If $0<k\leq\frac{1}{2}$ so the last inequality is obviously true.
Let $k>\frac{1}{2}$. Hence, $(2k+1)^2(c+d)^2-(4k^2-1)\left((4k^2-1)(c^2+d^2)-2(6k+1)cd\right)\geq0$ or
$(2k+1)(c+d)^2-(2k-1)\left((4k^2-1)(c^2+d^2)-2(6k+1)cd\right)\geq0$ or
$(2k^2-k-1)c^2-(6k-1)cd+(2k^2-k-1)d^2\leq0$.
If $\frac{1}{2}<k\leq1$ so the last inequality is obviously true.
Let $k>1$. Hence, $(6k-1)^2-4(2k^2-k-1)^2\geq0$, which gives $k\leq1+\frac{\sqrt5}{2}$.
Easy to see that for $k=1+\frac{\sqrt5}{2}$ the equality indeed occurs.
Id est, the answer is $1+\frac{\sqrt5}{2}$.