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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Find the answer

Which positive three-digit numbers satisfy the following two equations:

17x+15y28z=6119x25y+12z=31 \begin{aligned} & 17 x+15 y-28 z=61 \\ & 19 x-25 y+12 z=31 \end{aligned}

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

Solution

(1) Adding five times (1) and three times (2), and dividing both sides by 2, we get

71x52z=199 71 x-52 z=199

from which

z=71x19952=x3+19x4352=x3+tx=52t+4319=2t+2+14t+519=2t+2+ut=19u514=u+5u514=u+5u114=u+5vu=14v+1 \begin{aligned} & z=\frac{71 x-199}{52}=x-3+\frac{19 x-43}{52}=x-3+t \\ & x=\frac{52 t+43}{19}=2 t+2+\frac{14 t+5}{19}=2 t+2+u \\ & t=\frac{19 u-5}{14}=u+\frac{5 u-5}{14}=u+5 \cdot \frac{u-1}{14}=u+5 v \\ & u=14 v+1 \end{aligned}

Substituting back

t=14v+1+5v=19v+1x=38v+2+2+14v+1=52v+5z=52v+53+19v+1=71v+3 \begin{aligned} t & =14 v+1+5 v=19 v+1 \\ x & =38 v+2+2+14 v+1=52 v+5 \\ z & =52 v+5-3+19 v+1=71 v+3 \end{aligned}

From (1)

y=6117x+28z15=6117(52v+5)+28(71v+3)15=1104v+6015==368v+205=73v+4+3v5=73v+4+3wv=5w \begin{gathered} y=\frac{61-17 x+28 z}{15}=\frac{61-17(52 v+5)+28(71 v+3)}{15}=\frac{1104 v+60}{15}= \\ =\frac{368 v+20}{5}=73 v+4+\frac{3 v}{5}=73 v+4+3 w \\ v=5 w \end{gathered}

Substituting back again

y=368w+4x=260w+5z=355w+3 \begin{aligned} & y=368 w+4 \\ & x=260 w+5 \\ & z=355 w+3 \end{aligned}

For x,yx, y, and zz to be three-digit numbers, it is necessary and sufficient that w=1w=1 or w=2w=2.
For w=1w=1:
x=265x=265,
y=372y=372
z=358z=358
For w=2w=2:
x=525x=525,
y=740y=740,
z=713z=713.

Tamás Fuchs (Bp., II., Rákóczi g. III. o. t.)

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