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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Ireland

For what real numbers λ\lambda are there positive numbers aa, bb, and cc such that
a+1a=2(1+λ), a + \frac{1}{a} = 2(1 + \lambda),
c+1c=2(1+λ), c + \frac{1}{c} = 2(1 + \lambda),
b+1a=2(1λ), b + \frac{1}{a} = 2(1 - \lambda),
c+1b=2(1λ)? c + \frac{1}{b} = 2(1 - \lambda)?
For those values of λ\lambda, determine the corresponding values of aa, bb and cc.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Suppose, for a fixed λ\lambda, a solution to the four equations exists. Then, from the first equation, 2λ=a+1a2=(a1)2a02\lambda = a + \frac{1}{a} - 2 = \frac{(a-1)^2}{a} \ge 0, and so λ0\lambda \ge 0. From the first equation in the second row, 2(1λ)=b+1b>02(1 - \lambda) = b + \frac{1}{b} > 0 and so λ<1\lambda < 1. Hence, if a solution exists, then, in the first instance, 0λ<10 \le \lambda < 1.

Furthermore, if λ=0\lambda = 0, then a=1a = 1, c=1c = 1, whence b=1b = 1 also. Thus, one solution is λ=0\lambda = 0, and a=b=c=1a = b = c = 1.

On the other hand, if a=ca = c the two equations which involve 1λ1 - \lambda imply b+1a=a+1bb + \frac{1}{a} = a + \frac{1}{b}, or equivalently, a1a=b1ba - \frac{1}{a} = b - \frac{1}{b}. Because the equation x+1x=kx + \frac{1}{x} = k has at most one positive solution, this implies a=ba = b. From a=b=ca = b = c we easily obtain λ=0\lambda = 0. Hence, if λ0\lambda \ne 0 we need to have aca \ne c.

From now on we suppose 0<λ<10 < \lambda < 1. Clearly, a,ca, c satisfy the same quadratic equation x22(1+λ)x+1=0x^2 - 2(1 + \lambda)x + 1 = 0. As aca \ne c, they form its two roots and so ac=1ac = 1. Using this and the equations in the second row, we deduce that b2=1b^2 = 1, whence b=1b = 1 and c=12λ>0c = 1 - 2\lambda > 0. Plugging this into the second equation in the first row, we deduce that
2(1+λ)=12λ+112λ=(12λ)2+112λ, 2(1 + \lambda) = 1 - 2\lambda + \frac{1}{1 - 2\lambda} = \frac{(1 - 2\lambda)^2 + 1}{1 - 2\lambda},
whence 2(1+λ)(12λ)=24λ+4λ22(1 + \lambda)(1 - 2\lambda) = 2 - 4\lambda + 4\lambda^2 which simplifies to 8λ22λ=08\lambda^2 - 2\lambda = 0.
Thus, λ=1/4\lambda = 1/4. For this value of λ\lambda, we obtain a=2,b=1,c=1/2a = 2, b = 1, c = 1/2.

Solution 2

We consider the four variables aa, bb, cc and λ\lambda as unknowns. Subtracting the two equations in the first row we get ac=1c1aa-c = \frac{1}{c} - \frac{1}{a}. As ac0ac \neq 0, this is equivalent to (ac)(ac1)=0(a-c)(ac-1) = 0. If a=ca=c, the two equations which involve 1λ1-\lambda imply b+1a=a+1bb+\frac{1}{a} = a+\frac{1}{b}. This can be rewritten as (ba)(1+1ab)=0(b-a)(1+\frac{1}{ab}) = 0. As ab>0ab > 0, this implies a=ba=b. From a=b=ca=b=c we easily obtain λ=0\lambda=0. The first equation implies then a=1a=1. So we have one solution: (λ,a,b,c)=(0,1,1,1)(\lambda, a, b, c) = (0, 1, 1, 1).

Assume now aca \neq c, then ac=1ac = 1 and the two equations in the second row imply b=1bb = \frac{1}{b}, hence b=1b=1. The first equation in the second row now becomes 1+1a=2(1λ)1+\frac{1}{a} = 2(1-\lambda) from which we get a=112λa = \frac{1}{1-2\lambda} and c=1a=12λc = \frac{1}{a} = 1-2\lambda. Substituting this into the first equation yields 12λ+112λ=2(1+λ)1-2\lambda + \frac{1}{1-2\lambda} = 2(1+\lambda) which simplifies to λ(4λ1)=0\lambda(4\lambda-1) = 0. For λ=0\lambda=0 we obtain a=c=1a=c=1 in contradiction to our assumption. With λ=14\lambda = \frac{1}{4} we get a=2a=2 and so the second solution is (λ,a,b,c)=(14,2,1,12)(\lambda, a, b, c) = (\frac{1}{4}, 2, 1, \frac{1}{2}).

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