Find all positive real solutions of the system of equations x+x1−w=2, y+y1−w=2, z+z1+w=2, y+z1+w=2.
Solution
Subtracting the second equation from the first and multiplying by xy we get x2y+y−xy2−x=0, which gives either x=y or x=y1. If x=y, then subtracting the fourth equation from the third and multiplying by xz, we similarly get either x=z or x=−z1. If x=z, then subtracting the third equation from the first gives −2w=0, hence w=0, which is not positive. If x=−z1, then x and z cannot be both positive. If x=y1, then subtracting the fourth equation from the third gives z−z1=0, hence z=1. Adding the first equation with the third gives x+x2=3, or x2−3x+2=0. This has a solution x=1, which leads to x=y=z already considered. The second solution x=2 gives y=21 and w=21.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.