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Algebra Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

Solve the system a3+b=4ca^3 + b = 4c, a+b3=ca + b^3 = c, ab=1ab = -1.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

From the third equation we get b=1ab = -\frac{1}{a}. By substituting this in the first and second equations we obtain a new system: a31a=4ca^3 - \frac{1}{a} = 4c, a1a3=ca - \frac{1}{a^3} = c.

If c=0c = 0, we have a3=1aa^3 = \frac{1}{a} and a4=1a^4 = 1, whence a=1a = 1 or a=1a = -1, since a=0a = 0 is not possible. We have respectively b=1b = -1 and b=1b = 1.

If c0c \neq 0, then by dividing in this system the sides of the first equation by the respective sides of the second equation, we obtain (a31a):(a1a3)=4(a^3 - \frac{1}{a}) : (a - \frac{1}{a^3}) = 4. As a31a=a2(a1a)a^3 - \frac{1}{a} = a^2 \cdot (a - \frac{1}{a}), this is equivalent to a2=4a^2 = 4, whence a=±2a = \pm 2. If a=2a = 2, then b=12b = -\frac{1}{2} and c=158c = \frac{15}{8}. The case a=2a = -2 gives the same solution with opposite signs.

Solution 2

By adding the first and second equation we get a(a2+1)+b(b2+1)=5ca(a^2 + 1) + b(b^2 + 1) = 5c. Since 1=ab1 = -ab by the third equation, this equation is equivalent to a(a2ab)+b(b2ab)=5ca(a^2 - ab) + b(b^2 - ab) = 5c or, equivalently, (a2b2)(ab)=5c(a^2 - b^2)(a - b) = 5c.

By subtracting the second equation from the first equation in the initial system we obtain a(a21)b(b21)=3ca(a^2 - 1) - b(b^2 - 1) = 3c and by similarly substituting from the third equation we obtain a(a2+ab)b(b2+ab)=3ca(a^2 + ab) - b(b^2 + ab) = 3c or, equivalently, (a2b2)(a+b)=3c(a^2 - b^2)(a + b) = 3c.

Hence if c=0c = 0, then ab=0a - b = 0 or a+b=0a + b = 0. By the third equation a=ba = b is not possible. The case a=ba = -b gives two possibilities a=1,b=1a = 1, b = -1 and a=1,b=1a = -1, b = 1.

If c0c \neq 0, we obtain a+bab=35\frac{a+b}{a-b} = \frac{3}{5}, whence a=4ba = -4b. By substituting into the third equation of the initial system we obtain 4b2=1-4b^2 = -1, whence b=±12b = \pm\frac{1}{2}. If b=12b = \frac{1}{2}, then a=2a = -2 and c=158c = -\frac{15}{8}. The case b=12b = -\frac{1}{2} gives the same solution with opposite signs.

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