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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

a+b+c=pa2+b2+c2=qbcx2ya=0cax2yb=0abx2yc=0, \begin{aligned} a + b + c &= p \\ a^2 + b^2 + c^2 &= q \end{aligned} \qquad \begin{aligned} bc - x - 2ya &= 0 \\ ca - x - 2yb &= 0 \\ ab - x - 2yc &= 0, \end{aligned}
where p2<3qp^2 < 3q. Determine the possible values of abcabc.

Solution

Label the given equations as follows:
a+b+c=p(23) a + b + c = p \qquad (23)
a2+b2+c2=q(24) a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = q \qquad (24)
bcx2ya=0(25) bc - x - 2ya = 0 \qquad (25)
cax2yb=0(26) ca - x - 2yb = 0 \qquad (26)
abx2yc=0.(27) ab - x - 2yc = 0. \qquad (27)

Adding (25)(cb)(25) \cdot (c - b), (26)(ac)(26) \cdot (a - c) and (27)(ba)(27) \cdot (b - a), we obtain
(ab)(bc)(ca)=0. (a - b)(b - c)(c - a) = 0.

Hence one of ab,bc,caa - b, b - c, c - a must be zero. But if all three of a,b,ca, b, c are equal, to aa, say, then p=3a,q=3a2p = 3a, q = 3a^2, so that p2=9a2=3(3a2)=3qp^2 = 9a^2 = 3(3a^2) = 3q which has been ruled out. So, at most one of ab,bc,caa - b, b - c, c - a can be zero. Say b=ab = a; then c=p2ac = p - 2a and
q=2a2+c2=2a2+(p2a)2=6a24ap+p2, q = 2a^2 + c^2 = 2a^2 + (p - 2a)^2 = 6a^2 - 4ap + p^2,
so that aa satisfies the quadratic equation
6a24pa+p2q=0,and soa=2p±2(3qp2)6. 6a^2 - 4pa + p^2 - q = 0, \quad \text{and so} \quad a = \frac{2p \pm \sqrt{2(3q - p^2)}}{6}.

We then have
c=p2p±2(3qp2)3=p2(3qp2)3, c = p - \frac{2p \pm \sqrt{2(3q - p^2)}}{3} = \frac{p \mp \sqrt{2(3q - p^2)}}{3},

abc=a2c=(2p±2(3qp2))2(p2(3qp2))54=5p39pq±(p23q)2(3qp2)54\begin{align*} abc &= a^2c = \frac{(2p \pm \sqrt{2(3q - p^2)})^2 (p \mp \sqrt{2(3q - p^2)})}{54} \\ &= \frac{5p^3 - 9pq \pm (p^2 - 3q)\sqrt{2(3q - p^2)}}{54} \end{align*}

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