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Algebra Difficulty 6.7 National Olympiad Prove it Russia

Let P1(x)P_1(x) and P2(x)P_2(x) be monic quadratic polynomials (i.e., quadratic polynomials with leading coefficient 11). Let points A1A_1 and A2A_2 be vertices of parabolas y=P1(x)y = P_1(x) and y=P2(x)y = P_2(x), respectively. By m(g(x))m(g(x)) denote the minimal value of the function g(x)g(x). It happens that the differences m(P1(P2(x)))m(P1(x))m(P_1(P_2(x))) - m(P_1(x)) and m(P2(P1(x)))m(P2(x))m(P_2(P_1(x))) - m(P_2(x)) are equal positive real numbers. Find the angle between line A1A2A_1A_2 and the coordinate axis OxOx. (Н. Х. Агаханов)

Solution

Let the given trinomials be P1(x)=(xx1)2+y1P_1(x) = (x - x_1)^2 + y_1 and P2(x)=(xx2)2+y2P_2(x) = (x - x_2)^2 + y_2, where A1(x1;y1)A_1(x_1; y_1) and A2(x2;y2)A_2(x_2; y_2) are the coordinates of the vertices of the parabolas. Then m(P1(x))=y1m(P_1(x)) = y_1, and P1(P2(x))=((xx2)2+y2x1)2+y1P_1(P_2(x)) = ((x - x_2)^2 + y_2 - x_1)^2 + y_1. If y2x1y_2 \le x_1, then the minimal value of the expression ((xx2)2+y2x1)2((x - x_2)^2 + y_2 - x_1)^2 is zero, whence m(P1(P2(x)))m(P1(x))=y1y1=0m(P_1(P_2(x))) - m(P_1(x)) = y_1 - y_1 = 0. The latter contradicts the fact that m(P1(P2(x)))m(P1(x))m(P_1(P_2(x))) - m(P_1(x)) is a positive number. Thus, y2>x1y_2 > x_1, from which it follows that m(P1(P2(x)))=(y2x1)2+y1m(P_1(P_2(x))) = (y_2 - x_1)^2 + y_1 and m(P1(P2(x)))m(P1(x))=(y2x1)2m(P_1(P_2(x))) - m(P_1(x)) = (y_2 - x_1)^2.

Similarly, y1>x2y_1 > x_2 and m(P2(P1(x)))m(P2(x))=(y1x2)2m(P_2(P_1(x))) - m(P_2(x)) = (y_1 - x_2)^2. Now, the condition of equality of the differences can be rewritten as (y1x2)2=(y2x1)2(y_1 - x_2)^2 = (y_2 - x_1)^2. Hence, since y2>x1y_2 > x_1 and y1>x2y_1 > x_2, we obtain y1x2=y2x1y_1 - x_2 = y_2 - x_1, that is, y2y1=(x2x1)y_2 - y_1 = -(x_2 - x_1). Therefore, the desired angle is 4545^\circ.

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