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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Slovenia

Find all real xx and yy, such that x+y2=xy+1x + y^2 = xy + 1 and xy=4+yxy = 4 + y.

Solution

The first equation implies x+y2=xy+1x + y^2 = xy + 1, or xxy=1y2x - xy = 1 - y^2, so x(1y)=1y2x(1 - y) = 1 - y^2. This can be rewritten as (1y)(x1y)=0(1 - y)(x - 1 - y) = 0.

If y=1y = 1, then this equation is satisfied. The second equation then implies x1=4+1x \cdot 1 = 4 + 1, so x=5x = 5.

If y1y \ne 1, then x1y=0x - 1 - y = 0, so x=1+yx = 1 + y. Combining this with the second equation yields:

(1+y)y=4+y(1 + y)y = 4 + y

y2+y=4+yy^2 + y = 4 + y

y2=4y^2 = 4

So, y=2y = 2 or y=2y = -2.

For y=2y = 2, x=1+2=3x = 1 + 2 = 3.
For y=2y = -2, x=1+(2)=1x = 1 + (-2) = -1.

Both equations are satisfied for x=5x = 5, y=1y = 1; for x=3x = 3, y=2y = 2; and for x=1x = -1, y=2y = -2.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.