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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it North Macedonia

The real numbers a,b,c,da, b, c, d satisfy simultaneously the equations
abcd=1,bcda=2,cdab=3,dabc=6. abc - d = 1, \quad bcd - a = 2, \quad cda - b = 3, \quad dab - c = -6.
Prove that a+b+c+d0a + b + c + d \neq 0.

Solution

Suppose that a+b+c+d=0a + b + c + d = 0. Then
abc+bcd+cda+dab=0(1) abc + bcd + cda + dab = 0 \quad (1)
If abcd=0abcd = 0, then one of the numbers, say dd, must be 00. In this case abc=0abc = 0, and so at least one of the numbers a,b,ca, b, c will be equal to 00, making one of the given equations impossible. Hence abcd0abcd \neq 0 and, from (1),
1a+1b+1c+1d=0. \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} + \frac{1}{d} = 0.
implying
1a+1b+1c=1a+b+c. \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{b} + \frac{1}{c} = \frac{1}{a + b + c}.
It follows that (a+b)(b+c)(c+a)=0(a + b)(b + c)(c + a) = 0, which is impossible (for instance, if a+b=0a + b = 0, then adding the second and third given equations would lead to 2+3=02 + 3 = 0, a contradiction). Thus a+b+c+d0a + b + c + d \neq 0.

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