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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Czech-Polish-Slovak Mathematical Match

Determine all triples (x,y,z)(x, y, z) of positive numbers satisfying the system of equations
2x3=2y(x2+1)(z2+1),2y4=3z(y2+1)2(x2+1),2z5=4x(z2+1)3(y2+1). \begin{align*} 2x^3 &= 2y(x^2 + 1) - (z^2 + 1), \\ 2y^4 &= 3z(y^2 + 1) - 2(x^2 + 1), \\ 2z^5 &= 4x(z^2 + 1) - 3(y^2 + 1). \end{align*}

Solution

For any integer k3k \ge 3 and any x0x \ge 0 we have
2xk[(k1)x(k2)](x2+1).(0) 2x^k \ge [(k-1)x - (k-2)](x^2 + 1). \quad (0)
To see this, observe that, by AM-GM inequality,
xk+xk+x+x++x(k3) times(k1)x3, x^k + x^k + \underbrace{x + x + \dots + x}_{(k-3)\text{ times}} \ge (k-1)x^3,
and add it to
(k2)(x22x+1)0. (k-2)(x^2 - 2x + 1) \ge 0.
Note that we have equality if and only if x=1x=1.
Therefore, for xx, yy, zz satisfying the system of equations, we have
2y(x2+1)(z2+1)(2x1)(x2+1),3z(y2+1)2(x2+1)(3y2)(y2+1),4x(z2+1)3(y2+1)(4z3)(z2+1), \begin{align*} 2y(x^2 + 1) - (z^2 + 1) &\ge (2x-1)(x^2 + 1), \\ 3z(y^2 + 1) - 2(x^2 + 1) &\ge (3y-2)(y^2 + 1), \\ 4x(z^2 + 1) - 3(y^2 + 1) &\ge (4z-3)(z^2 + 1), \end{align*}
or
2(yx)(x2+1)+(xz)(x+z)0,3(zy)(y2+1)+2(yx)(y+x)0,4(xz)(z2+1)+3(zy)(z+y)0. \begin{equation} \begin{aligned} & 2(y-x)(x^2+1) + (x-z)(x+z) \ge 0, \\ & 3(z-y)(y^2+1) + 2(y-x)(y+x) \ge 0, \\ & 4(x-z)(z^2+1) + 3(z-y)(z+y) \ge 0. \end{aligned} \tag{1} \end{equation}
Now suppose xmax{y,z}x \ge \max\{y, z\}. Then from the second inequality of (1) we infer that yzy \le z and
2(yx)(x2+1)+(xz)(x+z)(zx)(2(x2+1)(x+z))(zx)(2x22x+2)0, \begin{align*} & 2(y-x)(x^2+1) + (x-z)(x+z) \le (z-x)(2(x^2+1)-(x+z)) \\ & \le (z-x)(2x^2-2x+2) \le 0, \end{align*}
which, by the first inequality in (1), implies x=y=zx = y = z.

If ymax{x,z}y \ge \max\{x, z\}, then zxz \le x by the third inequality in (1) and
3(zy)(y2+1)+2(yx)(y+x)(xy)(3(y2+1)2y2x)(xy)(3y24y+3)0, 3(z - y)(y^2 + 1) + 2(y - x)(y + x) \le (x - y)(3(y^2 + 1) - 2y - 2x) \\ \le (x - y)(3y^2 - 4y + 3) \le 0,
hence, by the second inequality in (1), x=y=zx = y = z.
Finally, if zmax{x,y}z \ge \max\{x, y\}, then xyx \le y by the first estimate in (1) and, as previously,
4(xz)(z2+1)+3(zy)(z+y)(yz)(4z26z+4)0, 4(x - z)(z^2 + 1) + 3(z - y)(z + y) \le (y - z)(4z^2 - 6z + 4) \le 0,
which again implies x=y=zx = y = z. Thus we have equality in (0) and hence x=y=z=1x = y = z = 1. We easily check that this is the solution to the system.

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