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Algebra Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Turkey

Let aa, bb, cc be distinct real numbers and xx be a real number.
Given that three numbers among
ax2+bx+c, ax2+cx+b, bx2+cx+a, bx2+ax+c, cx2+ax+b, cx2+bx+aax^2 + bx + c,\ ax^2 + cx + b,\ bx^2 + cx + a,\ bx^2 + ax + c,\ cx^2 + ax + b,\ cx^2 + bx + a
coincide, prove that x=1x = 1.

Solution

Let
ax2+bx+c=x1,ax2+cx+b=x2bx2+cx+a=x3,bx2+ax+c=x4cx2+ax+b=x5,cx2+bx+a=x6 \begin{align*} ax^2 + bx + c &= x_1, & ax^2 + cx + b &= x_2 \\ bx^2 + cx + a &= x_3, & bx^2 + ax + c &= x_4 \\ cx^2 + ax + b &= x_5, & cx^2 + bx + a &= x_6 \end{align*}
Then we get
(bc)(x1)=x1x2,(ca)(x1)=x3x4,(ab)(x1)=x5x6(bc)(x21)=x4x5,(ca)(x21)=x6x1,(ab)(x21)=x2x3(bc)(x2x)=x3x6,(ca)(x2x)=x5x2,(ab)(x2x)=x1x4. \begin{align*} (b-c)(x-1) &= x_1 - x_2, \quad (c-a)(x-1) = x_3 - x_4, \quad (a-b)(x-1) = x_5 - x_6 \\ (b-c)(x^2-1) &= x_4 - x_5, \quad (c-a)(x^2-1) = x_6 - x_1, \quad (a-b)(x^2-1) = x_2 - x_3 \\ (b-c)(x^2-x) &= x_3 - x_6, \quad (c-a)(x^2-x) = x_5 - x_2, \quad (a-b)(x^2-x) = x_1 - x_4. \end{align*}
For x=0x = 0, the set {x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6}={c,b,a,c,b,a}\{x_1, x_2, x_3, x_4, x_5, x_6\} = \{c, b, a, c, b, a\} can not include three identical elements. Similarly, for x=1x = -1, the set {x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6}={a+cb,ac+b,bc+a,ba+c,ca+b,cb+a}\{x_1, x_2, x_3, x_4, x_5, x_6\} = \{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+bca + b - c, b+cab + c - a, c+abc + a - b are equal, then two of aa, bb, cc are equal which is not possible. Consider the case x1,0,1x \neq -1, 0, 1. Since aa, bb, cc are distinct, using the equations above, we get xuxvx_u \neq x_v for any odd uu and even vv. Therefore the sets S1={x1,x3,x5}S_1 = \{x_1, x_3, x_5\} and S2={x2,x4,x6}S_2 = \{x_2, x_4, x_6\} should be disjoint. Therefore if there are three identical elements in S1S2S_1 \cup S_2, then either x1=x3=x5x_1 = x_3 = x_5 or x2=x4=x6x_2 = x_4 = x_6. W.L.O.G. assume that x1=x3=x5x_1 = x_3 = x_5. In this case, we have
ax2+bx+c=bx2+cx+a=cx2+ax+b. ax^2 + bx + c = bx^2 + cx + a = cx^2 + ax + b.

x=1x = 1 is a common root of the three 2-nd order polynomials given above, and hence we obtain that
(x1)(xt1)=(x1)(xt2)=0 (x-1)(x-t_1) = (x-1)(x-t_2) = 0
where t1=caabt_1 = \frac{c-a}{a-b}, t2=abbct_2 = \frac{a-b}{b-c}. There must be another common root different from 11, and hence
caab=abbc \frac{c-a}{a-b} = \frac{a-b}{b-c}
which is equivalent to
(ab)2+(bc)2+(ca)2=0 (a-b)^2 + (b-c)^2 + (c-a)^2 = 0
which is not possible since aa, bb, cc are distinct. Therefore we get x=1x = 1.

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