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Algebra Difficulty 8.0 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Consider the system \begin{align*}x + y &= z + u,\\2xy & = zu.\end{align*} Find the greatest value of the real constant mm such that mx/ym \leq x/y for any positive integer solution (x,y,z,u)(x,y,z,u) of the system, with xyx \geq y.

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

Solution

To solve this problem, we need to analyze the given system of equations:

1)x+y=z+u,2)2xy=zu. \begin{align*} 1) \quad & x + y = z + u,\\ 2) \quad & 2xy = zu. \end{align*}

Our goal is to find the greatest value of the real constant m m such that mxy m \leq \frac{x}{y} for any positive integer solution (x,y,z,u)(x, y, z, u) with xy x \geq y .

### Step 1: Express z z and u u in terms of x x and y y

From equation (1), we have:

z+u=x+y. z + u = x + y.

Using equation (2):

zu=2xy. zu = 2xy.

These two equations describe a pair of numbers z z and u u which, together, sum to x+y x + y and have a product of 2xy 2xy .

### Step 2: Solve the quadratic equation

Consider z z and u u as the roots of the quadratic equation:

t2(x+y)t+2xy=0. t^2 - (x+y)t + 2xy = 0.

Using the quadratic formula:

t=(x+y)±(x+y)28xy2. t = \frac{(x+y) \pm \sqrt{(x+y)^2 - 8xy}}{2}.

The discriminant of the quadratic must be non-negative for real solutions z z and u u , so:

(x+y)28xy0. (x+y)^2 - 8xy \geq 0.

This simplifies to:

x2+2xy+y28xy0, x^2 + 2xy + y^2 - 8xy \geq 0,

or

x26xy+y20. x^2 - 6xy + y^2 \geq 0.

### Step 3: Transform the inequality

Rearrange the terms:

(xy)24xy. (x-y)^2 \geq 4xy.

Dividing throughout by y2 y^2 (assuming y>0 y > 0 ), we get:

(xy1)24xy. \left( \frac{x}{y} - 1 \right)^2 \geq 4 \cdot \frac{x}{y}.

Let xy=k \frac{x}{y} = k where k1 k \geq 1 . This gives:

(k1)24k. (k - 1)^2 \geq 4k.

Expanding and rearranging:

k26k+10. k^2 - 6k + 1 \geq 0.

We solve the quadratic inequality using the quadratic formula:

k=6±3642=6±322=3±22. k = \frac{6 \pm \sqrt{36 - 4}}{2} = \frac{6 \pm \sqrt{32}}{2} = 3 \pm 2\sqrt{2}.

Since k=xy1 k = \frac{x}{y} \geq 1 , we take the larger root, giving us:

k3+22. k \geq 3 + 2\sqrt{2}.

Thus, the greatest value of m m is:

3+22. \boxed{3 + 2\sqrt{2}}.

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