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Geometry Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it Brazil

For which kk does the system x2y2=0x^2 - y^2 = 0, (xk)2+y2=1(x - k)^2 + y^2 = 1 have exactly
(1) two, (2) three real solutions?

Solution

We have (xk)2+x2=1(x - k)^2 + x^2 = 1, so 2x22kx+k21=02x^2 - 2k x + k^2 - 1 = 0. This has 0, 1 or 2 real solutions according as k2>2k^2 > 2, k2=2k^2 = 2 or k2<2k^2 < 2.

k=2k = \sqrt{2} gives x=12x = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}, y=12y = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} or y=12y = -\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}, so there are two solutions to the original set. Similarly for k=2k = -\sqrt{2}.

If k<2|k| < \sqrt{2}, then x=k±2k22x = \frac{k \pm \sqrt{2 - k^2}}{2}, y=±xy = \pm x. That gives 4 solutions unless one of the values of xx is 0, in which case we get 3 solutions. So k=1k = 1 gives (x,y)=(0,0)(x, y) = (0, 0) or (1,1)(1, 1) or (1,1)(1, -1). k=1k = -1 gives (x,y)=(0,0)(x, y) = (0, 0) or (1,1)(-1, 1) or (1,1)(-1, -1).

If k>2|k| > \sqrt{2}, there are no solutions.

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