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Algebra Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let MM be a nonempty set of positive reals so that, for every aa, bb, cc in MM, the number ab+bc+caab + bc + ca is rational. Prove that ab\frac{a}{b} is rational for every aa, bb in MM.

Solution

Let aa, bb, cc be arbitrary elements of MM. By hypothesis, ab+bc+caab + bc + ca is rational for all aa, bb, cc in MM.

Let us fix aa and bb in MM, and let cc vary over MM.

For c=ac = a, we have:

ab+bc+ca=ab+ba+aa=2ab+a2 ab + bc + ca = ab + ba + aa = 2ab + a^2
which is rational.

For c=bc = b, we have:

ab+bc+ca=ab+bb+ba=ab+b2+ba=2ab+b2 ab + bc + ca = ab + bb + ba = ab + b^2 + ba = 2ab + b^2
which is rational.

Now, consider the difference:

(2ab+a2)(2ab+b2)=a2b2 (2ab + a^2) - (2ab + b^2) = a^2 - b^2
which is rational. Therefore, a2b2a^2 - b^2 is rational for all aa, bb in MM.

Now, for cc arbitrary in MM, ab+bc+caab + bc + ca is rational. Fix aa and bb, and let cc vary.

Let cc be arbitrary in MM. Then ab+bc+caab + bc + ca is rational.

Let us consider ab+bc+caab + bc + ca as a function of cc:

ab+bc+ca=ab+bc+ca=ab+c(b+a) ab + bc + ca = ab + bc + ca = ab + c(b + a)
So, for fixed aa, bb, as cc varies over MM, ab+c(a+b)ab + c(a + b) is rational.

Let d=a+bd = a + b. Then, for all cc in MM, ab+cdab + cd is rational.

Let c1c_1, c2c_2 be two elements of MM. Then ab+c1dab + c_1 d and ab+c2dab + c_2 d are both rational.

Their difference is d(c1c2)d(c_1 - c_2), which is rational. Since d=a+bd = a + b is a positive real, and c1c_1, c2c_2 are arbitrary in MM, c1c2c_1 - c_2 is rational up to scaling by dd.

But we already have that a2b2a^2 - b^2 is rational for all aa, bb in MM.

Let us now fix aa, bb in MM and consider a2b2a^2 - b^2 is rational, so a2=b2+ra^2 = b^2 + r for some rational rr.

Now, aa, bb are positive reals, so a=b2+ra = \sqrt{b^2 + r}.

Let us now consider ab\frac{a}{b}.

Let x=abx = \frac{a}{b}, then a2=b2x2a^2 = b^2 x^2, so a2b2=b2(x21)a^2 - b^2 = b^2(x^2 - 1) is rational.

But b2b^2 is positive real, and x21x^2 - 1 is real. So b2(x21)b^2(x^2 - 1) is rational for all aa, bb in MM.

Now, fix bb in MM. Then for all aa in MM, b2(x21)b^2(x^2 - 1) is rational, where x=abx = \frac{a}{b}.

But b2b^2 is a fixed positive real number, so x21x^2 - 1 is rational up to scaling by b2b^2.

Let s=b2(x21)s = b^2(x^2 - 1) rational, so x2=1+sb2x^2 = 1 + \frac{s}{b^2}, so x2x^2 is rational.

Therefore, for all aa, bb in MM, (ab)2\left(\frac{a}{b}\right)^2 is rational.

Now, aa, bb are positive reals, so ab\frac{a}{b} is positive real, and its square is rational. Therefore, ab\frac{a}{b} is a positive real number whose square is rational, i.e., ab\frac{a}{b} is a positive rational or a positive irrational whose square is rational.

But suppose ab\frac{a}{b} is irrational and its square is rational, i.e., ab=q\frac{a}{b} = \sqrt{q} for some positive rational qq.

Let us check if this is possible. Suppose MM contains a=bqa = b \sqrt{q} for some bb in MM and qq positive rational.

But then, for aa, bb in MM, ab+bc+caab + bc + ca must be rational for all cc in MM.

Let us check for a=bqa = b \sqrt{q}, bb in MM, cc arbitrary in MM.

ab+bc+ca=ba+bc+ca=ba+c(b+a)=ba+c(b+a)ab + bc + ca = b a + b c + c a = b a + c(b + a) = b a + c(b + a).

But ba=b2qb a = b^2 \sqrt{q}, b+a=b+bq=b(1+q)b + a = b + b \sqrt{q} = b(1 + \sqrt{q}).

So ab+bc+ca=b2q+cb(1+q)=b2q+cb+cbq=cb+(b2+cb)qab + bc + ca = b^2 \sqrt{q} + c b (1 + \sqrt{q}) = b^2 \sqrt{q} + c b + c b \sqrt{q} = c b + (b^2 + c b) \sqrt{q}.

For this to be rational for all cc in MM, b2+cbb^2 + c b must be zero unless q\sqrt{q} is rational, i.e., qq is a perfect square.

Therefore, ab\frac{a}{b} must be rational for all aa, bb in MM.

Thus, ab\frac{a}{b} is rational for all aa, bb in MM.

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