Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /7 of 10

Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Philippines

Problem:
Find all pairs (r,s)(r, s) of real numbers such that the zeros of the polynomials
f(x)=x22rx+r f(x) = x^{2} - 2 r x + r
and
g(x)=27x327rx2+sxr6 g(x) = 27 x^{3} - 27 r x^{2} + s x - r^{6}
are all real and nonnegative.

Solution

Solution:
Let x1,x2x_{1}, x_{2} be the zeros of f(x)f(x), and let y1,y2,y3y_{1}, y_{2}, y_{3} be the zeros of g(x)g(x).
By Viete's relation,
x1+x2=2rx1x2=r \begin{aligned} x_{1} + x_{2} & = 2 r \\ x_{1} x_{2} & = r \end{aligned}
and
y1+y2+y3=ry1y2+y2y3+y3y1=s27y1y2y3=r627 \begin{aligned} y_{1} + y_{2} + y_{3} & = r \\ y_{1} y_{2} + y_{2} y_{3} + y_{3} y_{1} & = \frac{s}{27} \\ y_{1} y_{2} y_{3} & = \frac{r^{6}}{27} \end{aligned}
Note that
(x1+x22)2x1x2r2ry1+y2+y33y1y2y33r3r6273rr2 \begin{gathered} \left(\frac{x_{1} + x_{2}}{2}\right)^{2} \geq x_{1} x_{2} \quad \Rightarrow \quad r^{2} \geq r \\ \frac{y_{1} + y_{2} + y_{3}}{3} \geq \sqrt[3]{y_{1} y_{2} y_{3}} \\ \frac{r}{3} \geq \sqrt[3]{\frac{r^{6}}{27}} \\ r \geq r^{2} \end{gathered}
Hence r=r2r = r^{2}, and consequently x1=x2x_{1} = x_{2} and y1=y2=y3y_{1} = y_{2} = y_{3}. Moreover, r=0,1r = 0, 1.

- If r=0r = 0, then f(x)=x2f(x) = x^{2} with x1=x2=0x_{1} = x_{2} = 0. And since y1=y2=y3y_{1} = y_{2} = y_{3} with y1+y2+y3=0y_{1} + y_{2} + y_{3} = 0, then ultimately s=0s = 0.

- If r=1r = 1, then f(x)=x22x+1=(x1)2f(x) = x^{2} - 2 x + 1 = (x - 1)^{2} with x1=x2=1x_{1} = x_{2} = 1. And since y1=y2=y3y_{1} = y_{2} = y_{3} with y1+y2+y3=1y_{1} + y_{2} + y_{3} = 1 then y1=y2=y3=13y_{1} = y_{2} = y_{3} = \frac{1}{3}. Therefore s=9s = 9.

Thus, the possible ordered pairs (r,s)(r, s) are (0,0)(0, 0) and (1,9)(1, 9).

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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