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Czech-Polish-Slovak Match

Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Find the answer

Find the smallest value that the expression takes x4+y4−x2y−xy2x^4 + y^4 - x^2y - xy^2, for positive numbers xx and yy satisfying x+y≤1x + y \le 1.

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

We wish to find the minimum value of the expression x4+y4−x2y−xy2 x^4 + y^4 - x^2y - xy^2 subject to the constraint x+y≤1 x + y \leq 1 where x x and y y are positive real numbers.

First, consider using the Lagrange multipliers method to incorporate the constraint x+y=c≤1 x + y = c \leq 1 . We define the Lagrangian function as
L(x,y,λ)=x4+y4−x2y−xy2+λ(c−x−y). \mathcal{L}(x, y, \lambda) = x^4 + y^4 - x^2y - xy^2 + \lambda (c - x - y).

Compute the partial derivatives and set them to zero to find critical points:
∂L∂x=4x3−2xy−y2−λ=0, \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial x} = 4x^3 - 2xy - y^2 - \lambda = 0,
∂L∂y=4y3−x2−2xy−λ=0, \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial y} = 4y^3 - x^2 - 2xy - \lambda = 0,
∂L∂λ=c−x−y=0. \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial \lambda} = c - x - y = 0.

The constraint becomes x+y=c x + y = c . Substitute y=c−x y = c - x into the equations:
4x3−2x(c−x)−(c−x)2−λ=0, 4x^3 - 2x(c-x) - (c-x)^2 - \lambda = 0,
4(c−x)3−x2−2x(c−x)−λ=0. 4(c-x)^3 - x^2 - 2x(c-x) - \lambda = 0.

However, instead of dealing with these non-linear equations, one efficient approach uses symmetry when x=y x = y :
- Let x=y=c2 x = y = \frac{c}{2} .

Then substitute into the expression:
(c2)4+(c2)4−(c2)2(c2)−(c2)(c2)2. \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^4 + \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^4 - \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^2\left(\frac{c}{2}\right) - \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)\left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^2.

Simplify:
=2(c2)4−2(c2)3=2(c416)−2(c38)=c48−c34. = 2 \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^4 - 2 \left(\frac{c}{2}\right)^3 = 2 \left(\frac{c^4}{16}\right) - 2 \left(\frac{c^3}{8}\right) = \frac{c^4}{8} - \frac{c^3}{4}.

With the constraint c=x+y=1 c = x + y = 1 ,
=148−134=18−14=18−28=−18. = \frac{1^4}{8} - \frac{1^3}{4} = \frac{1}{8} - \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1}{8} - \frac{2}{8} = -\frac{1}{8}.

This calculation verifies that the minimum value of the expression, considering optimality subject to x+y≤1 x + y \leq 1 , is indeed −18-\frac{1}{8}:

−18 \boxed{-\frac{1}{8}}

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Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.