Let
ax2+bx+cbx2+cx+acx2+ax+b=x1,=x3,=x5,ax2+cx+bbx2+ax+ccx2+bx+a=x2=x4=x6
Then we get
(b−c)(x−1)(b−c)(x2−1)(b−c)(x2−x)=x1−x2,(c−a)(x−1)=x3−x4,(a−b)(x−1)=x5−x6=x4−x5,(c−a)(x2−1)=x6−x1,(a−b)(x2−1)=x2−x3=x3−x6,(c−a)(x2−x)=x5−x2,(a−b)(x2−x)=x1−x4.
For x=0, the set {x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6}={c,b,a,c,b,a} can not include three identical elements. Similarly, for x=−1, the set {x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6}={a+c−b,a−c+b,b−c+a,b−a+c,c−a+b,c−b+a} can not include three identical elements since if two of a+b−c, b+c−a, c+a−b are equal, then two of a, b, c are equal which is not possible. Consider the case x=−1,0,1. Since a, b, c are distinct, using the equations above, we get xu=xv for any odd u and even v. Therefore the sets S1={x1,x3,x5} and S2={x2,x4,x6} should be disjoint. Therefore if there are three identical elements in S1∪S2, then either x1=x3=x5 or x2=x4=x6. W.L.O.G. assume that x1=x3=x5. In this case, we have
ax2+bx+c=bx2+cx+a=cx2+ax+b.
x=1 is a common root of the three 2-nd order polynomials given above, and hence we obtain that
(x−1)(x−t1)=(x−1)(x−t2)=0
where t1=a−bc−a, t2=b−ca−b. There must be another common root different from 1, and hence
a−bc−a=b−ca−b
which is equivalent to
(a−b)2+(b−c)2+(c−a)2=0
which is not possible since a, b, c are distinct. Therefore we get x=1.