Problem:
Let , , and be real numbers, with nonzero, such that the sets and are equal. Compute the sum of the possible values of .
, 2023
Solution
Solution:
First, suppose that and were of different signs. Then and , but the set has at most one negative value, a contradiction. Hence, and have the same sign; without loss of generality, we say and are both positive.
Let . Then the set given is equal to . We split into two cases:
- Case 1: . This forces and , since . Then and , so is either or .
- Case 2: . Suppose , so for some . Then . Trying reveals that only is possible, since . This forces .
Hence, our final total is .
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