Addition Distributes over Multiplication?

We know that by the distributive property a ( b + c ) = a b + a c a(b+c) = ab + ac is an identity. However, a + b c = ( a + b ) ( a + c ) a + bc = (a+b)(a+c) is not an identity.

Find the number of ordered triples of integers ( a , b , c ) (a,b,c) in the interval [ 10 , 10 ] [-10,10] such that a + b c = ( a + b ) ( a + c ) a+bc = (a+b)(a+c) .


The answer is 751.

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3 solutions

Calvin Lin Staff
Dec 20, 2016

x 1 + x 2 + + x U = B x_1 + x_2 + \ldots + x_U = B Recall that if we have U U positive integers that sum up to B B , we can set up the bijection with placing B B balls into U U urns. Hence, there are ( B 1 U 1 ) { B - 1 \choose U - 1 } ways. This is known as the stars and bars approach.


a ( b + c ) = a b + a c a ( a + b + c 1 ) = 0 a ( b + c) = ab + ac \Leftrightarrow a ( a+b+c - 1 ) = 0

Let's consider the following cases:

Case 1. a = 0 a = 0 .
Then b , c b ,c can be any value, so there are 21 × 21 = 441 21 \times 21 = 441 possibilties.

Case 2. a > 0 a > 0 .
We must have a + b + c = 1 a + b + c = 1 .
Use the change of variables x a , y b + 11 , z c + 11 x \rightarrow a, y \rightarrow b + 11, z \rightarrow c + 11 . Then we are looking for positive integer solutions to

x + y + z = a + ( b + 11 ) + ( c + 11 ) = 23 , 1 x 10 , 1 y 21 , 1 z 21 x + y + z = a + (b+11) + (c+11) = 23, 1 \leq x \leq 10, 1 \leq y \leq 21, 1 \leq z \leq 21

We apply PIE to the restrictions of x 11 , y 22 , z 22 x \geq 11, y \geq 22 , z \geq 22 . We are looking for the number of solutions that satisfy none of these conditions.
If there are no restrictions, then there are ( 22 2 ) = 231 { 22 \choose 2 } = 231 .
If we have the single restriction x 11 x \geq 11 , then using the change of variables X x 10 X \rightarrow x - 10 , we are looking for positive integer solutions to X + y + z = 13 X + y + z = 13 , of which there are ( 12 2 ) = 66 { 12 \choose 2 } = 66 solutions.
If we have the single restriction that y 22 y \geq 22 , then using the change of variables Y y 21 Y \rightarrow y - 21 , we are looking for positive integer solutions to x + Y + z = 2 x + Y + z = 2 , of which there are ( 1 2 ) = 0 { 1 \choose 2 } = 0 solutions.
Similarly, if we have the single restriction that z 22 z \geq 22 , then there are ( 1 2 ) = 0 { 1 \choose 2 } = 0 solutions.
If we have any pair of restrictions, clearly there are no solutions.
If we have all 3 restrictions, clearly there are no solutions.

Hence, in this case, there are 231 ( 66 + 0 + 0 ) + ( 0 + 0 + 0 ) 0 = 165 231 - (66 + 0 + 0 ) + (0+0+0) - 0 = 165 solutions.

Case 3. a < 0 a < 0 . We must have a + b + c = 1 a + b + c = 1 .
Use the change of variables x a , y b + 11 , z c + 11 x \rightarrow - a , y \rightarrow -b + 11, z \rightarrow -c + 11 . Then, we are looking for positive itneger solutions to

x + y + z = a + ( b + 11 ) + ( c + 11 ) = 21 , 1 y 21 , 1 z 21 x + y + z = -a + (-b+11) + (-c+11) = 21 , 1 \leq y \leq 21, 1 \leq z \leq 21

We apply PIE to the restrictions of x 11 , y 22 , z 22 x \geq 11, y \geq 22, z \geq 22 . We are looking for the number of solutions that satisfy none of these conditions.
If there are no restrictions, then there are ( 20 2 ) = 190 { 20 \choose 2 } = 190 .
If we have the single restriction x 11 x \geq 11 , then using the change of variables X x 10 X \rightarrow x - 10 , we are looking for positive integer solutions to X + y + z = 11 X + y + z = 11 , of which there are ( 10 2 ) = 55 { 10 \choose 2 } = 55 solutions.
If we have the single restriction that y 22 y \geq 22 , then using the change of variables Y y 21 Y \rightarrow y - 21 , we are looking for positive integer solutions to x + Y + z = 0 x + Y + z = 0 , of which there are 0 0 solutions in positive integers. Similarly, if we have the single restriction that z 22 z \geq 22 , then there are 0 0 solutions in positive integers.
If we have any pair of restrictions, clearly there are no solutions.
If we have all 3 restrictions, clearly there are no solutions.

Hence, in this case, there are 190 ( 55 + 0 + 0 ) + ( 0 + 0 + 0 ) 0 = 135 190 - (55 + 0 + 0) + (0+0+0) - 0 = 135 solutions.

Thus, there are a total of 441 + 165 + 135 = 751 441 + 165 + 135 = 751 solutions.

Sir, I am getting the answer as 761;
441 cases when a=0; 21 cases when a=1; 20 cases when a=2; 19 for a=3 and so on till 12 for a=10;
Similarly I get 20 cases for a=(-1); 19 cases for a=(-2) and so on till 11 cases for a=(-10) and then
441+ 21 + 2(20+19+18......+12) +11 = 761 ; so which 10 cases am I overcounting?

Yatin Khanna - 4 years, 5 months ago

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Check your a a is negative case again. You can match your numbers up against mine see that the a < 0 a < 0 count is off.

Calvin Lin Staff - 4 years, 5 months ago
Christopher Boo
Dec 20, 2016

Rearrange the equation we get a = a ( a + b + c ) a = a(a + b + c) . With a 0 a\neq 0 , the equation becomes a + b + c = 1 a+b+c=1 , where a , b , c [ 10 , 10 ] a, b, c \in [-10, 10] . Now, we will ignore the fact that a 0 a\neq 0 and eliminate that case later.

Interesting things happen now, move c c to RHS to form a + b = 1 c a+b=1-c . Then this is the space for all combination a , b a,b within their domain.

Their sum must be within 1 c [ 9 , 11 ] 1-c \in [-9, 11] , which is

The problem becomes finding the number of lattice points within the polygon. We will do this by applying Pick's Theorem.

Area = 20 × 20 1 2 × 11 × 11 1 2 × 9 × 9 \text{Area} = 20\times 20 - \frac{1}{2} \times 11 \times 11 - \frac{1}{2} \times 9 \times 9

B = 3 × 9 + 3 × 11 \text{B} = 3\times 9 + 3 \times 11

By Pick's Theorem,

Area = I + B 2 1 \text{Area}=I + \frac{B}{2} - 1

which gives us I = 270 I=270 , so the number of lattice points within the polygon is I + B = 330 I+B=330 .

Recall that in this case, we considered a = 0 a=0 , but we need not have b + c = 1 b+c=1 . So we will remove the case b + c = 1 b+c=1 and add all their combinations. The number of cases where b + c = 1 b+c=1 is 20 20 and their total combinations is 21 × 21 = 441 21\times 21=441 . Hence, the answer is 330 20 + 441 = 751 330-20+441=751 .

Deeparaj Bhat
Dec 21, 2016

Here's a generating functions solution.

Note that a + b c = ( a + b ) ( a + c ) a = a 2 + a ( b + c ) a + bc = (a+b)(a+c) \iff a = a^2 + a(b+c)

Case 1: a = 0 a = 0

In this case, b b and c c can take any value. So, this case gives rise to 21 × 21 = 441 21 \times 21 = 441 solutions.

Case 2: a 0 a \neq 0

The condition now reduces to a + b + c = 1 a + b + c = 1

In this case, the number of solutions is equal to the coefficient of x x in the following expression :

( 1 + A ) A 2 where A = r = 10 10 x r = 1 x 10 1 x 21 1 x (-1 + A)A^2 \quad \text{where } A = \sum_{r = -10}^{10} x^r = \frac{1}{x^{10}} \frac{1-x^{21}}{1-x}

where the gp summation formula is used to get the last form of A A .

So, the expression now becomes 1 x 30 1 ( 1 x ) 3 ( 1 x 21 ) 2 ( 1 x 21 x 10 ( 1 x ) ) ( ) \frac{1}{x^{30}}\frac{1}{(1-x)^3}(1 - x^{21})^2(1-x^{21} - x^{10}(1-x))\quad (*)

Now, Newton's binomial theorem shows that 1 ( 1 x ) 3 = r = 0 ( r + 2 2 ) x r \frac{1}{(1-x)^3} = \sum_{r = 0}^{\infty} \binom {r + 2} 2 x^r

Simplifying the numerator of (*), we get the following :

1 x 30 ( r = 0 ( r + 2 2 ) x r ) ( 1 x 10 + x 11 3 x 21 + 2 x 31 + x 32 ( some more terms ) ) \frac{1}{x^{30}} \left (\sum_{r = 0}^{\infty} \binom {r + 2} 2 x^r \right) (1-x^{10}+x^{11}-3x^{21}+2x^{31}+x^{32}(\text{ some more terms }))

Hence, the coefficient of x x in the expression is ( 33 2 ) + ( 22 2 ) ( 23 2 ) 3 ( 12 2 ) + 2 ( 2 2 ) = 310 {33 \choose 2} + {22 \choose 2} - {23 \choose 2} - 3{12 \choose 2} + 2{2 \choose 2}= 310

And so, total number of solutions is 441 + 310 = 751 441 + 310 = \boxed{751}

Why did you select the generating function as ( 1 + A ) A 2 (-1+A)A^2 and not A 3 A^3

Akhilesh Prasad - 4 years, 5 months ago

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Coz a 0 a \neq 0

Deeparaj Bhat - 4 years, 5 months ago

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Oh yeah I did not remember to exclude the first case that has already been considered.

Akhilesh Prasad - 4 years, 5 months ago

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