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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National olympiad Prove it Belarus

The graphs of the functions f(x)=ax2+bx+cf(x) = ax^2 + bx + c, g(x)=cx+bcx+ag(x) = \frac{cx + b}{cx + a}, h(x)=cx+bh(x) = cx + b have the unique common point of the intersection, and the graph of h(x)h(x) has no another common points with the graphs of f(x)f(x) and g(x)g(x). All a,b,ca, b, c are non-zero pairwise distinct real numbers.
Find all possible values of a,b,ca, b, c.

Solution

Since the graphs of f(x)f(x) and h(x)h(x) has exactly one common point, the equation ax2+bx+c=cx+bax^2 + bx + c = cx + b, i.e. the equation
ax2(cb)x+(cb)=0,(1) ax^2 - (c-b)x + (c-b) = 0, \quad (1)
has exactly one root. So, its discriminant is equal to 00, i.e. (cb)24a(cb)=0(cb)(cb4a)=0(c-b)^2-4a(c-b) = 0 \Leftrightarrow (c-b)(c-b-4a) = 0. By condition, cbc \neq b, i.e. cb0c-b \neq 0, so we have cb4a=0c-b-4a=0 or
cb=4a.(2) c - b = 4a. \quad (2)

From (1) and (2) it follows ax24ax+4a=0ax^2 - 4ax + 4a = 0, whence x24x+4=0(x2)2=0x=2x^2 - 4x + 4 = 0 \Leftrightarrow (x-2)^2 = 0 \Leftrightarrow x = 2. Thus x=2x = 2 is an abscissa of the common point of all three graphs.

Since the graphs of g(x)g(x) and h(x)h(x) has also exactly one common point, the equation cx+bcx+a=cx+b\frac{cx+b}{cx+a} = cx+b, i.e. the equation cx+b=(cx+b)(cx+a)cx+b = (cx+b)(cx+a) has exactly one root. Therefore, x=bc=1acx = -\frac{b}{c} = -\frac{1-a}{c}. But x=2x = 2, so
bc=2,and2=1ac.(3)(4) -\frac{b}{c} = 2, \quad \text{and} \quad 2 = \frac{1-a}{c}. \qquad (3)-(4)
From (2), (3) and (4) we obtain a=311a = \frac{3}{11}, b=811b = -\frac{8}{11} and c=411c = \frac{4}{11}. It is easy to see that for these values of aa, bb and cc the graphs of all three functions have exactly one common point.

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