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Algebra Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it Bulgaria

Solve the equation
(x+1)x2+2x+2+xx2+1=0. (x + 1)\sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 2} + x\sqrt{x^2 + 1} = 0.

Solution

Let a=x2+2x+2>0a = \sqrt{x^2 + 2x + 2} > 0 and b=x2+1>0b = \sqrt{x^2 + 1} > 0. Therefore
x=(x2+2x+2)(x2+1)12=a2b212 x = \frac{(x^2 + 2x + 2) - (x^2 + 1) - 1}{2} = \frac{a^2 - b^2 - 1}{2}
x+1=a2b2+12. x + 1 = \frac{a^2 - b^2 + 1}{2}.
The equation is equivalent to:
a2b2+12a+a2b212b=0 \frac{a^2 - b^2 + 1}{2} \cdot a + \frac{a^2 - b^2 - 1}{2} \cdot b = 0
(a2b2)a+a+(a2b2)bb=0(a^2 - b^2)a + a + (a^2 - b^2)b - b = 0
(ab)((a+b)2+1)=0.(a - b)((a + b)^2 + 1) = 0.
Hence, a=ba = b and x=12x = -\frac{1}{2}. \square

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