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Algebra Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it Ireland
Suppose a a a , b b b , c c c are real numbers such that a + b + c = 1 a + b + c = 1 a + b + c = 1 . Prove thata 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = 1.
a^3 + b^3 + c^3 + 3(1-a)(1-b)(1-c) = 1.
a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = 1.
Solutions — 3 Solution 1 a 3 + b 3 + c 3 − 3 a b c = ( a + b + c ) ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 − a b − b c − c a ) = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 − a b − b c − c a = ( a + b + c ) 2 − 3 ( a b + b c + c a ) = 1 − 3 ( a b + b c + c a ) ,
\begin{align*}
a^3 + b^3 + c^3 - 3abc &= (a+b+c)(a^2+b^2+c^2-ab-bc-ca) \
&= a^2 + b^2 + c^2 - ab - bc - ca \
&= (a+b+c)^2 - 3(ab+bc+ca) \
&= 1 - 3(ab+bc+ca),
\end{align*}
a 3 + b 3 + c 3 − 3 ab c = ( a + b + c ) ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 − ab − b c − c a ) = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 − ab − b c − c a = ( a + b + c ) 2 − 3 ( ab + b c + c a ) = 1 − 3 ( ab + b c + c a ) , and( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = 1 − ( a + b + c ) + ( a b + b c + c a ) − a b c = a b + b c + c a − a b c .
\begin{align*}
(1-a)(1-b)(1-c) &= 1 - (a+b+c) + (ab+bc+ca) - abc \
&= ab + bc + ca - abc.
\end{align*}
( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = 1 − ( a + b + c ) + ( ab + b c + c a ) − ab c = ab + b c + c a − ab c . Hencea 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 1 + 3 a b c − 3 ( a b + b c + c a ) = 1 − 3 ( a b + b c + c a − a b c ) = 1 − 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) ,
\begin{align*}
a^3 + b^3 + c^3 &= 1 + 3abc - 3(ab + bc + ca) \
&= 1 - 3(ab + bc + ca - abc) \
&= 1 - 3(1-a)(1-b)(1-c),
\end{align*}
a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 1 + 3 ab c − 3 ( ab + b c + c a ) = 1 − 3 ( ab + b c + c a − ab c ) = 1 − 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) , as claimed.
Solution 2 1 = ( a + b + c ) 3 = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a 2 b + a b 2 + b 2 c + b c 2 + c 2 a + c a 2 ) + 6 a b c . ( 1 ) 1 = (a+b+c)^3 = a^3+b^3+c^3+3(a^2b+ab^2+b^2c+bc^2+c^2a+ca^2)+6abc. \quad (1) 1 = ( a + b + c ) 3 = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a 2 b + a b 2 + b 2 c + b c 2 + c 2 a + c a 2 ) + 6 ab c . ( 1 ) Next we use a + b + c = 1 a+b+c = 1 a + b + c = 1 to get 1 − a = b + c 1-a = b+c 1 − a = b + c , 1 − b = c + a 1-b = c+a 1 − b = c + a , 1 − c = a + b 1-c = a+b 1 − c = a + b , which givesa 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a + b ) ( b + c ) ( c + a ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a 2 b + a b 2 + b 2 c + b c 2 + c 2 a + c a 2 ) + 6 a b c . ( 2 )
\begin{align*}
a^3 + b^3 + c^3 + 3(1-a)(1-b)(1-c) &= a^3 + b^3 + c^3 + 3(a+b)(b+c)(c+a) \\
&= a^3 + b^3 + c^3 + 3(a^2b + ab^2 + b^2c + bc^2 + c^2a + ca^2) + 6abc. \quad (2)
\end{align*}
a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a + b ) ( b + c ) ( c + a ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( a 2 b + a b 2 + b 2 c + b c 2 + c 2 a + c a 2 ) + 6 ab c . ( 2 ) Finally, we note that the expressions on the right-hand sides of (1) and (2) are the same. This completes the proof.
Solution 3 a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = a 3 + b 3 + ( 1 − a − b ) 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) = a 3 + b 3 + ( 1 − a ) 3 − 3 b ( 1 − a ) 2 + 3 b 2 ( 1 − a ) − b 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( ( 1 − a ) 2 − 3 b ( 1 − a ) + 3 b 2 + 3 ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − 2 a + a 2 − 3 b + 3 a b + 3 b 2 + 3 a + 3 b − 3 a b − 3 b 2 ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( 1 + a + a 2 ) = a 3 + 1 − a 3 = 1.
\begin{align*}
& a^3 + b^3 + c^3 + 3(1-a)(1-b)(1-c) \\
&= a^3 + b^3 + (1-a-b)^3 + 3(1-a)(1-b)(a+b) \\
&= a^3 + b^3 + (1-a)^3 - 3b(1-a)^2 + 3b^2(1-a) - b^3 + 3(1-a)(1-b)(a+b) \\
&= a^3 + (1-a) \left( (1-a)^2 - 3b(1-a) + 3b^2 + 3(1-b)(a+b) \right) \\
&= a^3 + (1-a) \left( 1 - 2a + a^2 - 3b + 3ab + 3b^2 + 3a + 3b - 3ab - 3b^2 \right) \\
&= a^3 + (1-a) \left( 1 + a + a^2 \right) = a^3 + 1 - a^3 = 1.
\end{align*}
a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( 1 − c ) = a 3 + b 3 + ( 1 − a − b ) 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) = a 3 + b 3 + ( 1 − a ) 3 − 3 b ( 1 − a ) 2 + 3 b 2 ( 1 − a ) − b 3 + 3 ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( ( 1 − a ) 2 − 3 b ( 1 − a ) + 3 b 2 + 3 ( 1 − b ) ( a + b ) ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( 1 − 2 a + a 2 − 3 b + 3 ab + 3 b 2 + 3 a + 3 b − 3 ab − 3 b 2 ) = a 3 + ( 1 − a ) ( 1 + a + a 2 ) = a 3 + 1 − a 3 = 1.
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