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Algebra Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Suppose aa, bb, cc are complex numbers such that a+b+c=0a + b + c = 0. Prove that
2(ab)2(bc)2(ca)2=(a2+b2+c2)354a2b2c2. 2(a - b)^2(b - c)^2(c - a)^2 = (a^2 + b^2 + c^2)^3 - 54a^2b^2c^2.

Solution

Let ab+bc+ca=pab + bc + ca = -p and abc=qabc = q. From a+b+c=0a + b + c = 0 we obtain
0=(a+b+c)2=a2+b2+c2+2(ab+bc+ca)=a2+b2+c22p, i.e., 0 = (a + b + c)^2 = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + 2(ab + bc + ca) = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 - 2p, \text{ i.e.,}
a2+b2+c2=2p, a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = 2p,
and a3+b3+c33abc=(a+b+c)(a2+b2+c2abbcca)=0a^3 + b^3 + c^3 - 3abc = (a + b + c)(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 - ab - bc - ca) = 0, i.e.,
a3+b3+c3=3q. a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = 3q.
Also
p2=(ab+bc+ca)2=a2b2+b2c2+c2a2+2abc(a+b+c)=a2b2+b2c2+c2a2, p^2 = (ab + bc + ca)^2 = a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2 + 2abc(a + b + c) = a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2,
and so
4p2=(a2+b2+c2)2=a4+b4+c4+2(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)=a4+b4+c4+2p2, 4p^2 = (a^2 + b^2 + c^2)^2 = a^4 + b^4 + c^4 + 2(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) = a^4 + b^4 + c^4 + 2p^2,
whence
a4+b4+c4=2p2. a^4 + b^4 + c^4 = 2p^2.
Hence

\begin{align*}
(a-b)^2 (b-c)^2 (c-a)^2 &= \det \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ a & b & c \\ a^2 & b^2 & c^2 \end{pmatrix} \cdot \det \begin{pmatrix} 1 & a & a^2 \\ 1 & b & b^2 \\ 1 & c & c^2 \end{pmatrix} \\
&= \det \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ a & b & c \\ a^2 & b^2 & c^2 \end{pmatrix} \cdot \begin{pmatrix} 1 & a & a^2 \\ 1 & b & b^2 \\ 1 & c & c^2 \end{pmatrix} \\
&= \det \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 0 & 2p \\ 0 & 2p & 3q \\ 2p & 3q & 2p^2 \end{pmatrix} \\
&= 3(4p^3 - 9q^2) - 8p^3 \\
&= 4p^3 - 27q^2 \\
&= \frac{1}{2}(a^2 + b^2 + c^2)^3 - 27a^2b^2c^2.
\end{align*}

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