Olympiad Maths Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it Czech Republic

Let x,y,zx, y, z be real numbers such that
1x2+2yz,1y2+2zx,1z2+2xy \frac{1}{|x^2 + 2yz|}, \quad \frac{1}{|y^2 + 2zx|}, \quad \frac{1}{|z^2 + 2xy|}
are side-lengths of a (non-degenerate) triangle. Find all possible values of xy+yz+zxxy + yz + zx.
(Michal Rolínek)

Solution

If x=y=z=t>0x = y = z = t > 0 then the three fractions are sides of an equilateral triangle and xy+yz+zx=3t2xy + yz + zx = 3t^2, hence xy+yz+zxxy + yz + zx can attain all positive values. Similarly, for x=y=t>0x = y = t > 0 and z=2tz = -2t the three fractions are 13t2\frac{1}{3}t^{-2}, 13t2\frac{1}{3}t^{-2}, 16t2\frac{1}{6}t^{-2} which are positive numbers that are side-lengths of an isosceles triangle (16<13+13\frac{1}{6} < \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{3}). Since xy+yz+zx=3t2xy + yz + zx = -3t^2, any negative value can be attained too.

Next we show that xy+yz+zxxy + yz + zx can't be 0. Assume otherwise. Numbers x,y,zx, y, z are mutually distinct: if, say, xx and yy were equal then the denominator of the first fractions would be equal to x2+2yz=xy+(yz+xz)=0|x^2 + 2yz| = |xy + (yz + xz)| = 0 which is impossible.

Let's look at the fractions without absolute values. Subtracting xy+yz+zx=0xy + yz + zx = 0 from each denominator we get
1x2+2yz+1y2+2zx+1z2+2xy==1(xy)(xz)+1(yz)(yx)+1(zx)(zy)==(zy)+(xz)+(yx)(xy)(yz)(zx)=0. \begin{aligned} \frac{1}{x^2 + 2yz} + \frac{1}{y^2 + 2zx} + \frac{1}{z^2 + 2xy} &= \\ &= \frac{1}{(x-y)(x-z)} + \frac{1}{(y-z)(y-x)} + \frac{1}{(z-x)(z-y)} = \\ &= \frac{(z-y) + (x-z) + (y-x)}{(x-y)(y-z)(z-x)} = 0. \end{aligned}

This implies that among the original fractions (with absolute values), one of them is a sum of the other two. Hence the fractions don't fulfil triangle inequality and we reached the desired contradiction.

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