Solution:
The equation is defined if
4ax>0, 4ax=1, x−3a>0, x−3a=1
Setting t=log4ax(x−3a) we get the equation t+2t1=23 with roots t1=1 and t2=21.
If log4ax(x−3a)=1, then x1=1−4a3a, a=41.
If log4ax(x−3a)=21 we obtain the equation x2−6ax+9a2=4ax with roots x2=9a and x3=a.
Hence we have to find all a for which exactly two of the numbers x1=1−4a3a (a=41), x2=9a and x3=a are different solutions of the given equation. It is clear that a=0. We shall consider two cases.
1. Let a>0. Then x3−3a=−2a<0, which implies that x1 and x2 have to be the solutions. Since x1=1−4a3a satisfies (*), it follows that 4ax1=1−4a12a2>0, 4ax1=1−4a12a2=1, x1−3a=1−4a3a−3a>0 and x1−3a=1−4a3a−3a=1. This implies that a<41 and a=61. It is easy to check that if a=61, then x1=x2 and x2 satisfies (*). So the desired numbers a in this case are
a∈(0,61)∪(61,41)
2. Let a<0. Then x2−3a=6a<0, which implies that x1 and x3 have to be the two solutions. Since x1=1−4a3a again satisfies (∗), we find as in the first case that a=−21. Now it is easy to check that x1=x3 and x3 satisfies (∗). Thus
a∈(−∞,−21)∪(−21,0)
Combining both cases, it follows that the answer of the problem is
a∈(−∞,−21)∪(−21,0)∪(0,61)∪(61,41)