AlgebraDifficulty 6.0National OlympiadFind the answer
Determine all the roots , real or complex , of the system of simultaneous equations x+y+z=3 , , x3+y3+z3=3 .
A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.
Solution
Let x , y , and z be the roots of the cubic polynomial t3+at2+bt+c . Let S1=x+y+z=3 , S2=x2+y2+z2=3 , and S3=x3+y3+z3=3 . From this, S1+a=0 , S2+aS1+2b=0 , and S3+aS2+bS1+3c=0 . Solving each of these, a=−3 , b=3 , and c=−1 . Thus x , y , and z are the roots of the polynomial t3−3t2+3t−1=(t−1)3 . Thus x=y=z=1 , and there are no other solutions.
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