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Algebra Difficulty 7.0 National Olympiad Prove it New Zealand

Problem:
Let xx, yy and zz be real numbers such that: x2=y+2x^{2} = y + 2, and y2=z+2y^{2} = z + 2, and z2=x+2z^{2} = x + 2. Prove that x+y+zx + y + z is an integer.

Solution

Solution:
First we exclude 1-1 and 22:
x=2x = 2 implies y=2y = 2 implies z=2z = 2 implies x=2x = 2
x=1x = -1 implies y=1y = -1 implies z=1z = -1 implies x=1x = -1
In both these cases we have x+y+zx + y + z being an integer. So henceforth we assume none of x,y,zx,y,z are 22 nor 1-1. Now let x,y,zx,y,z be the roots of the following cubic equation.
(λx)(λy)(λz)=λ3Aλ2+BλC.(\lambda - x)(\lambda - y)(\lambda - z) = \lambda^{3} - A\lambda^{2} + B\lambda - C.
Applying Viete's formula to this cubic gives us A=x+y+zA = x + y + z, B=xy+yz+zxB = xy + yz + zx and C=xyzC = xyz. This means that x2+y2+z2=(x+y+z)22(xy+yz+zx)=A22Bx^{2} + y^{2} + z^{2} = (x + y + z)^{2} - 2(xy + yz + zx) = A^{2} - 2B. Now sum the three given equations (x2=y+2x^{2} = y + 2 and y2=z+2y^{2} = z + 2 and z2=x+2z^{2} = x + 2) to get
A22B=x2+y2+z2=(y+2)+(z+2)+(x+2)=A+6.A^{2} - 2B = x^{2} + y^{2} + z^{2} = (y + 2) + (z + 2) + (x + 2) = A + 6.
A2A2B=6.(1)A^{2} - A - 2B = 6. \quad (1)
Next rearrange the equations to be x21=y+1x^{2} - 1 = y + 1 and y21=z+1y^{2} - 1 = z + 1 and z21=x+1z^{2} - 1 = x + 1. These can then be multiplied to get
(x21)(y21)(z21)=(y+1)(z+1)(x+1)(x^{2} - 1)(y^{2} - 1)(z^{2} - 1) = (y + 1)(z + 1)(x + 1)
(x1)(x+1)(y1)(y+1)(z1)(z+1)=(y+1)(z+1)(x+1)(x - 1)(x + 1)(y - 1)(y + 1)(z - 1)(z + 1) = (y + 1)(z + 1)(x + 1)
(x1)(y1)(z1)=1(x - 1)(y - 1)(z - 1) = 1
xyz(xy+yz+zx)+(x+y+z)1=1xyz - (xy + yz + zx) + (x + y + z) - 1 = 1
BA+2=C(2)B - A + 2 = C \quad (2)
In the above algebraic manipulation, we are allowed to cancel the (x+1)(y+1)(z+1)(x + 1)(y + 1)(z + 1) factor because none of x,y,zx,y,z are equal to 1-1. Finally rearrange the equations to be x24=y2x^{2} - 4 = y - 2 and y24=z2y^{2} - 4 = z - 2 and z24=x2z^{2} - 4 = x - 2. These can then be multiplied to get
(x24)(y24)(z24)=(y2)(z2)(x2)(x^{2} - 4)(y^{2} - 4)(z^{2} - 4) = (y - 2)(z - 2)(x - 2)
(x2)(x+2)(y2)(y+2)(z2)(z+2)=(y2)(z2)(x2)(x - 2)(x + 2)(y - 2)(y + 2)(z - 2)(z + 2) = (y - 2)(z - 2)(x - 2)
(x+2)(y+2)(z+2)=1(x + 2)(y + 2)(z + 2) = 1
xyz+2(xy+yz+zx)+4(x+y+z)+8=1xyz + 2(xy + yz + zx) + 4(x + y + z) + 8 = 1
C+2B+4A=7C + 2B + 4A = -7
C=4A2B7(3)C = -4A - 2B - 7 \quad (3)
In the above algebraic manipulation, we are allowed to cancel the (x2)(y2)(z2)(x - 2)(y - 2)(z - 2) factor because none of x,y,zx,y,z are equal to 22. Combining equations (2) and (3) gives us BA+2=C=4A2B7B - A + 2 = C = -4A - 2B - 7 which rearranges to give us B=A3B = -A - 3. Substituting this into 1 gives us.
A2A2B=6A^{2} - A - 2B = 6
A2A2(A3)=6A^{2} - A - 2(-A - 3) = 6
A(A+1)=0.A(A + 1) = 0.
Therefore A=0A = 0 or A=1A = -1 both of which are integers. Since A=x+y+zA = x + y + z we are done.

Consider the polynomial PP defined by
P(λ)=λ88λ6+20λ416λ2λ+2P(\lambda) = \lambda^{8} - 8\lambda^{6} + 20\lambda^{4} - 16\lambda^{2} - \lambda + 2
=(λ+1)(λ2)(λ33λ+1)(λ3+λ22λ1).\qquad = (\lambda + 1)(\lambda - 2)(\lambda^{3} - 3\lambda + 1)(\lambda^{3} + \lambda^{2} - 2\lambda - 1).
If we substitute z=y22z = y^{2} - 2 into z2=x+2z^{2} = x + 2 gives us (y22)2=x+2(y^{2} - 2)^{2} = x + 2. Then substitute y=x22y = x^{2} - 2 to get ((x22)22)2=x+2\left((x^{2} - 2)^{2} - 2\right)^{2} = x + 2. Expanding gives
x88x6+20x416x2x+2=0.x^{8} - 8x^{6} + 20x^{4} - 16x^{2} - x + 2 = 0.
Therefore xx is a root of the polynomial PP. By symmetry we must have all of x,y,zx,y,z being roots of PP. Now we consider cases:
Case 1: at least one of x,y,zx,y,z is equal to 1-1. Wlog assume x=1x = -1. Using y=x22y = x^{2} - 2 we get y=1y = -1. Then using z=y22z = y^{2} - 2 we get z=1z = -1. In this case we get (x,y,z)=(1,1,1)(x,y,z) = (-1, -1, -1) which has sum 3-3 which is an integer.
Case 2: at least one of x,y,zx,y,z is equal to 22. Wlog assume x=2x = 2. Using y=x22y = x^{2} - 2 we get y=2y = 2. Then using z=y22z = y^{2} - 2 we get z=2z = 2. In this case we get (x,y,z)=(2,2,2)(x,y,z) = (2,2,2) which has sum 66 which is an integer.
Case 3: at least one of x,y,zx,y,z is a root of (λ33λ+1)(\lambda^{3} - 3\lambda + 1). Wlog assume x33x+1=0x^{3} - 3x + 1 = 0. Note that z=y22=(x22)22=x44x+2z = y^{2} - 2 = (x^{2} - 2)^{2} - 2 = x^{4} - 4x + 2. Now consider the sum of xx and y=x22y = x^{2} - 2 and z=x44x2+2z = x^{4} - 4x^{2} + 2,
x+y+z=x+(x22)+(x44x2+2)=x43x2+x=(x33x+1)x.x + y + z = x + (x^{2} - 2) + (x^{4} - 4x^{2} + 2) = x^{4} - 3x^{2} + x = (x^{3} - 3x + 1)x.
But since x33x+1=0x^{3} - 3x + 1 = 0 this means x+y+z=0x + y + z = 0 in this case.
Case 4: some two of x,y,zx,y,z are the same. Wlog assume x=yx = y therefore x=y=x22x = y = x^{2} - 2. Hence
0=x2x2=(x2)(x+1).0 = x^{2} - x - 2 = (x - 2)(x + 1).
and so x=1x = -1 or x=2x = 2, and this was covered in cases 1 and 2.
Case 5: Since x,y,zx,y,z are all roots of PP, the only remaining possibility is that x,yx,y and zz are distinct roots of λ3+λ22λ1\lambda^{3} + \lambda^{2} - 2\lambda - 1. By Viete's formula this means that the sum of the roots is 1-1 in this case.
In all cases we conclude that x+y+zx + y + z is an integer.

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