Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /441 of 520

Algebra Difficulty 3.9 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

Evaluate the product (5+6+7)(5+67)(56+7)(5+6+7).\left(\sqrt{5}+\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{7}\right)\left(\sqrt{5}+\sqrt{6}-\sqrt{7}\right)\left(\sqrt{5}-\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{7}\right)\left(-\sqrt{5}+\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{7}\right).

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

More generally, let (x,y,z)=(5,6,7)(x,y,z)=\left(\sqrt5,\sqrt6,\sqrt7\right) so that (x2,y2,z2)=(5,6,7).\left(x^2,y^2,z^2\right)=(5,6,7).
We rewrite the original expression in terms of x,y,x,y, and z,z, then apply the difference of squares repeatedly:
(x+y+z)(x+yz)(xy+z)(x+y+z)=[((x+y)+z)((x+y)z)][((z+(xy))(z(xy))]=[(x+y)2z2][z2(xy)2]=[x2+2xy+y2z2][z2x2+2xyy2]=[2xy+(x2+y2z2)][2xy(x2+y2z2)]=(2xy)2(x2+y2z2)2=(256)2(5+67)2=104.\begin{align*} (x+y+z)(x+y-z)(x-y+z)(-x+y+z) &= \left[((x+y)+z)((x+y)-z)\right]\left[((z+(x-y))(z-(x-y))\right] \\ &= \left[(x+y)^2-z^2\right]\left[z^2 - (x-y)^2\right] \\ &= \left[x^2+2xy+y^2-z^2\right]\left[z^2-x^2+2xy-y^2\right] \\ &= \left[2xy + \left(x^2+y^2-z^2\right)\right]\left[2xy - \left(x^2+y^2-z^2\right)\right] \\ &= \left(2xy\right)^2 - \left(x^2+y^2-z^2\right)^2 \\ &= \left(2\cdot\sqrt5\cdot\sqrt6\right)^2 - \left(5+6-7\right)^2 \\ &= \boxed{104}. \end{align*}
Remark
From this solution, note that the original expression has cyclic symmetry with respect to x,y,x,y, and z:z:
(x+y+z)(x+yz)(xy+z)(x+y+z)==(2xy)2(x2+y2z2)2=4x2y2x4y4z42x2y2+2y2z2+2z2x2=2x2y2+2y2z2+2z2x2x4y4z4.\begin{align*} (x+y+z)(x+y-z)(x-y+z)(-x+y+z) &= \cdots \\ &= \left(2xy\right)^2 - \left(x^2+y^2-z^2\right)^2 \\ &= 4x^2y^2 - x^4 - y^4 - z^4 - 2x^2y^2 + 2y^2z^2 + 2z^2x^2 \\ &= 2x^2y^2 + 2y^2z^2 + 2z^2x^2 - x^4 - y^4 - z^4. \end{align*}
~MRENTHUSIASM

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: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.