TITLE: Find the minimum value of: $\dfrac{a}{b+3a}+\dfrac{b}{c+3b}+\dfrac{c}{a+3c}$
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Let $a,b,c>0$, find the minimum value of: $$\dfrac{a}{b+3a}+\dfrac{b}{c+3b}+\dfrac{c}{a+3c}$$
I have tried:
$\bullet$ The minimum value is $\dfrac{3}{4}$ occur when $a=b=c$
$\bullet  \dfrac{a}{b+3a}+\dfrac{b}{c+3b}+\dfrac{c}{a+3c}= \dfrac{a^2}{3a^2+ab}+\dfrac{b^2}{3b^2+bc}+\dfrac{c^2}{3c^2+ca}\ge\dfrac{(a+b+c)^2}{3(a^2+b^2+c^2)+ab+bc+ca}=\dfrac{(a+b+c)^2}{3(a+b+c)^2-5(ab+bc+ca)}$
$\bullet$ $ab+bc+ca\le\dfrac{(a+b+c)^2}{3}$ so we have $\dfrac{(a+b+c)^2}{3(a+b+c)^2-5(ab+bc+ca)}\le \dfrac{3}{4}$ but we need to prove $\dfrac{a}{b+3a}+\dfrac{b}{c+3b}+\dfrac{c}{a+3c} \ge \dfrac{3}{4}$
Can you give me some hint ?

REPLY [3 votes]: Another way:
We know that our expression is closed to $\frac{1}{3}$ but
$$\sum_{cyc}\frac{a}{b+3a}\geq \sum_{cyc} \frac{a}{3b+3a+3c}=\frac{1}{3}$$ and we got the same result again.