Maths Olympiad Prep

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Problem 1233

AIME late
Algebra Difficulty 5.2 Prove it South-Afrika · South Africa · 2011

Solve the system of equations:
xy=x+y;xy = x + y;
x2+y2=1x^2 + y^2 = 1

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

We are trying to solve the equations
xy=x+y xy = x + y
1=x2+y2. 1 = x^2 + y^2.

Squaring both sides of xy=x+yxy = x + y and using x2+y2=1x^2 + y^2 = 1 to simplify gives
x2y2=x2+2xy+y2=1+2xy(xy)22(xy)1=0. x^2 y^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2 = 1 + 2xy \Rightarrow (xy)^2 - 2(xy) - 1 = 0.
This gives xy=1±2xy = 1 \pm \sqrt{2} or y=1±2xy = \frac{1\pm\sqrt{2}}{x}.
Notice that from equation xy=x+yxy = x + y, we can write y=xx1y = \frac{x}{x-1}.
Combining this with the previous result gives
x2x(1±2)+1±2=0. x^2 - x(1 \pm \sqrt{2}) + 1 \pm \sqrt{2} = 0.
If x2x(1+2)+1+2=0x^2 - x(1 + \sqrt{2}) + 1 + \sqrt{2} = 0, then
x=(1+2)±(1+2)24(1+2)2=(1+2)±1222. \begin{aligned} x &= \frac{(1 + \sqrt{2}) \pm \sqrt{(1 + \sqrt{2})^2 - 4(1 + \sqrt{2})}}{2} \\ &= \frac{(1 + \sqrt{2}) \pm \sqrt{-1 - 2\sqrt{2}}}{2}. \end{aligned}
which is non-real.
If x2x(12)+12=0x^2 - x(1 - \sqrt{2}) + 1 - \sqrt{2} = 0, then
x=(12)±(12)24(12)2=(12)±2212. \begin{aligned} x &= \frac{(1 - \sqrt{2}) \pm \sqrt{(1 - \sqrt{2})^2 - 4(1 - \sqrt{2})}}{2} \\ &= \frac{(1 - \sqrt{2}) \pm \sqrt{2\sqrt{2} - 1}}{2}. \end{aligned}
This presents a viable solution. Notice that if (x,y)(x, y) is a solution, then (y,x)(y, x) is also a solution. The two roots of the above equation are the desired values (since they satisfy equation xy=x+yxy = x + y by Vieta's formulas) and we can have (x,y)=(y,x)=(r1,r2)(x, y) = (y, x) = (r_1, r_2) where
r1=12+2212andr2=122212. r_1 = \frac{1 - \sqrt{2} + \sqrt{2\sqrt{2} - 1}}{2} \quad \text{and} \quad r_2 = \frac{1 - \sqrt{2} - \sqrt{2\sqrt{2} - 1}}{2}.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.