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Vietnamese Mathematical Competitions

Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Vietnam

Let a,b,ca, b, c be positive real numbers. It is known that the system of equations
{a2x+b2y+c2z=1xy+yz+zx=1(where a,b,c are parameters) \begin{cases} a^2x + b^2y + c^2z = 1 \\ xy + yz + zx = 1 \end{cases} \quad \text{(where $a, b, c$ are parameters)}
has only one solution (x,y,z)(x, y, z). Prove that a,b,ca, b, c are the sides of a certain triangle.

Solution

Putting m=a2m = a^2, n=b2n = b^2, p=c2p = c^2 then m,n,p>0m, n, p > 0. We have the system
{mx+ny+pz=1xy+yz+zx=1. \begin{cases} mx + ny + pz = 1 \\ xy + yz + zx = 1 \end{cases}.
From this system, we get mx=1−ny−pzmx = 1 - ny - pz and m(xy+yz+zx)=mm(xy + yz + zx) = m, therefore
ny2+y(nz+pz−mz−1)+m−z+pz2=0(∗) ny^2 + y(nz + pz - mz - 1) + m - z + pz^2 = 0 \quad (*)
Equation (∗)(*) has only one solution when (nz+pz−mz−1)2−4n(m−z+pz2)=0(nz + pz - mz - 1)^2 - 4n(m - z + pz^2) = 0.
This equation is equivalent to ((m−n−p)2−4np)z2+2(m+n−p)z+1−4mn=0((m - n - p)^2 - 4np)z^2 + 2(m + n - p)z + 1 - 4mn = 0. (∗∗)(**)
Equation (∗∗)(**) has only one solution when
(m+n−p)2=(1−4mn)((m−n−p)2−4np). (m + n - p)^2 = (1 - 4mn)((m - n - p)^2 - 4np).
or by simple algebra m2+n2+p2+1=2(mn+np+pm)m^2 + n^2 + p^2 + 1 = 2(mn + np + pm).
Conversely, with this condition, putting back into (∗)(*) and (∗∗)(**), we see that the system has only one solution: (x,y,z)=(n+p−m,p+m−n,m+n−p)(x, y, z) = (n + p - m, p + m - n, m + n - p).
Thus, m2+n2+p2+1=2(mn+np+pm)⇔a4+b4+c4+1=2(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)m^2 + n^2 + p^2 + 1 = 2(mn + np + pm) \Leftrightarrow a^4 + b^4 + c^4 + 1 = 2(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) is the necessary and sufficient condition for the system to have only one solution.
Moreover, from this condition, we have
2(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)>a4+b4+c4⇔(a+b+c)(a+b−c)(b+c−a)(c+a−b)>0. 2(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) > a^4 + b^4 + c^4 \Leftrightarrow (a + b + c)(a + b - c)(b + c - a)(c + a - b) > 0.
From which follows that all of the numbers a+b−ca + b - c, b+c−ab + c - a, c+a−bc + a - b are positive, so a,b,ca, b, c are the sides of certain triangle. (Q.E.D)

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