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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

Given real numbers x,y,zx, y, z, with
x+y+z=xy+yz+zx=1. x + y + z = xy + yz + zx = -1.
Prove that (xyz2)(yzx2)(zxy2)=xyz1(xy - z^2)(yz - x^2)(zx - y^2) = xyz - 1.

Solution

Let xyz=axyz = a. Then
(xyz2)(yzx2)(zxy2)==(azz2)(axx2)(ayy2)=1a(az3)(ax3)(ay3)==1a(a3(x3+y3+z3)a2+(x3y3+y3z3+z3x3)ax3y3z3)==[x3y3z3=a3]=(x3y3+y3z3+z3x3)(x3+y3+z3)a=ABa,(1) \begin{aligned} (xy - z^2)(yz - x^2)(zx - y^2) &= \\ &= \left(\frac{a}{z} - z^2\right) \left(\frac{a}{x} - x^2\right) \left(\frac{a}{y} - y^2\right) = \frac{1}{a}(a - z^3)(a - x^3)(a - y^3) = \\ &= \frac{1}{a}(a^3 - (x^3 + y^3 + z^3)a^2 + (x^3y^3 + y^3z^3 + z^3x^3)a - x^3y^3z^3) = \\ &= [x^3y^3z^3 = a^3] = (x^3y^3 + y^3z^3 + z^3x^3) - (x^3 + y^3 + z^3)a = A - Ba, \quad (1) \end{aligned}
where
A=x3y3+y3z3+z3x3andB=x3+y3+z3. A = x^3y^3 + y^3z^3 + z^3x^3 \quad \text{and} \quad B = x^3 + y^3 + z^3.
Let xy2+x2y+yz2+y2z+zx2+xz2=Cxy^2 + x^2y + yz^2 + y^2z + zx^2 + xz^2 = C. Find the values of AA, BB, CC. First,
x2+y2+z2=(x+y+z)22(xy+yz+zx)=12(1)=3. x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = (x + y + z)^2 - 2(xy + yz + zx) = 1 - 2 \cdot (-1) = 3.
Secondly,
B=x3+y3+z3=(x+y+z)(x2+y2+z2)C=(1)3C=3C.(2) B = x^3 + y^3 + z^3 = (x+y+z)(x^2+y^2+z^2) - C = (-1) \cdot 3 - C = -3 - C. \quad (2)
Further,
C=(x+y+z)(xy+yz+zx)3xyz=1(1)3a=13a. C = (x + y + z)(xy + yz + zx) - 3xyz = -1 \cdot (-1) - 3a = 1 - 3a.
From (2) it follows that
B=3(13a)=3a4. B = -3 - (1 - 3a) = 3a - 4.
Then
x2y2+y2z2+z2x2=(xy+yz+zx)22xyz(x+y+z)=(1)22(1)=2a+1. x^2y^2 + y^2z^2 + z^2x^2 = (xy + yz + zx)^2 - 2xyz(x+y+z) = (-1)^2 - 2 \cdot (-1) = 2a + 1.
So,
A=(xy+yz+zx)(x2y2+y2z2+z2x2)Cxyz=(1)(2a+1)(13a)a=3a23a1. A = (xy+yz+zx)(x^2y^2+y^2z^2+z^2x^2)-Cxyz = (-1)(2a+1)-(1-3a)a = 3a^2-3a-1.
Substituting AA and BB in (1), we obtain
ABa=3a23a1(3a4)a=a1=xyz1, A - Ba = 3a^2 - 3a - 1 - (3a - 4)a = a - 1 = xyz - 1,
as required.

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