Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Prove it Philippines

Problem:

Simplify 52+735273\sqrt[3]{5 \sqrt{2}+7}-\sqrt[3]{5 \sqrt{2}-7} into a rational number.

Solution

Solution:

Let a=52+73a=\sqrt[3]{5 \sqrt{2}+7} and let b=5273b=\sqrt[3]{5 \sqrt{2}-7}. Note that
a3b3=14 and ab=50493=1 a^{3}-b^{3}=14 \text{ and } a b=\sqrt[3]{50-49}=1
Now, a3b3=(ab)(a2+ab+b2)=(ab)[(ab)2+3ab]a^{3}-b^{3}=(a-b)\left(a^{2}+a b+b^{2}\right)=(a-b)\left[(a-b)^{2}+3 a b\right]. Letting x=abx=a-b, we have the resulting equation x(x2+3)=14x\left(x^{2}+3\right)=14.
x(x2+3)=14x3+3x14=0(x2)(x2+2x+7)=0 x\left(x^{2}+3\right)=14 \rightarrow x^{3}+3 x-14=0 \rightarrow(x-2)\left(x^{2}+2 x+7\right)=0
The roots of x2+2x+7x^{2}+2 x+7 are not real since its discriminant is 224(7)=24<02^{2}-4(7)=-24<0. Since x=abx=a-b is a real number, then x=2x=2.

(Alternatively, the expression is equivalent to (2+1)(21)=2(\sqrt{2}+1)-(\sqrt{2}-1)=2.)

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.