AM-GM may help

Algebra Level 4

If x , y , z R \displaystyle x,y,z\in\mathbb R are positive, solve { x + 1 y z + z 2 = 3 y + 1 x z = 2 \displaystyle\begin{cases}x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2=3\\y+\frac{1}{xz}=2\end{cases}

The solutions are ( x 1 , y 1 , z 1 ) , ( x 2 , y 2 , z 2 ) , , ( x n , y n , z n ) \displaystyle (x_1,y_1,z_1), (x_2,y_2,z_2),\ldots, (x_n,y_n,z_n) .

Find i = 1 n ( x i + y i + z i ) \displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^n (x_i+y_i+z_i) .


The answer is 3.

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2 solutions

Mathh Mathh
Jul 5, 2014

{ x + 1 y z + z 2 = 3 y + 1 x z = 2 x + 1 y z + z 2 + y + 1 x z = 5 AM-GM 5 x 1 y z z 2 y 1 x z 5 = 5 \displaystyle\begin{cases}x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2=3\\y+\frac{1}{xz}=2\end{cases}\implies x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2+y+\frac{1}{xz}=5\stackrel{\text{AM-GM}}\ge 5\sqrt[5]{x\cdot \frac{1}{yz}\cdot z^2\cdot y\cdot \frac{1}{xz}}=5

The minimum value of x + 1 y z + z 2 + y + 1 x z x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2+y+\frac{1}{xz} is 5 5 and it is reached if and only if x = 1 y z = z 2 = y = 1 x z x=\frac{1}{yz}=z^2=y=\frac{1}{xz} .

Since we know x + 1 y z + z 2 + y + 1 x z x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2+y+\frac{1}{xz} is equal to its minimum value, we have x = 1 y z = z 2 = y = 1 x z x=\frac{1}{yz}=z^2=y=\frac{1}{xz} , which implies after multiplying both sides by y z yz that we get y z z 2 = 1 yz\cdot z^2=1 and from y = z 2 y=z^2 we get z 5 = 1 z = 1 x = y = 1 z^5=1\implies z=1\implies x=y=1 . After checking the solution ( 1 , 1 , 1 ) (1,1,1) on the initial system of equations, we see it works.

Therefore, the answer is x + y + z = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 x+y+z=1+1+1=\boxed 3 .

How does this prove that there are no other solutions other than x = y = z = 1 x=y=z=1 ?

Shaun Loong - 6 years, 11 months ago

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We know that x + 1 y z + z 2 + y + 1 x z \displaystyle x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2+y+\frac{1}{xz} is equal to its minimum value (we know it equals 5 5 and by using AM-GM we know that 5 5 is its minimum value) and that it reaches it if and only if x = 1 y z = z 2 = y = 1 x z x=\frac{1}{yz}=z^2=y=\frac{1}{xz} , and this holds only if x = y = z = 1 x=y=z=1 , which works on the initial system of equations.

mathh mathh - 6 years, 11 months ago

this is easy method just by inspection

Aditya Deshpande - 6 years, 11 months ago

thanks for the hint (AM GM might help!).........else could not have got it!!

Abhinav Raichur - 6 years, 11 months ago

Nice problem. Keep that going !! BTW what's your real name ?

Nishant Sharma - 6 years, 11 months ago

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thanks! & sorry, but I wanna stay anonymous :/

mathh mathh - 6 years, 11 months ago

please elaborate me how can we say that 5 is its minimum value?

Piyush Kumar - 6 years, 11 months ago

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well, I did show that we know that because of AM-GM (arithmetic-geometric mean)(I wrote this above the inequality sign). x + 1 y z + z 2 + y + 1 x z 5 AM-GM x 1 y z z 2 y 1 x z 5 \frac{x+\frac{1}{yz}+z^2+y+\frac{1}{xz}}{5}\stackrel{\text{AM-GM}}\ge \sqrt[5]{x\cdot \frac{1}{yz}\cdot z^2\cdot y\cdot \frac{1}{xz}} , and this big expression on the RHS, after some simplifying, is simply equal to 1. Now multiply both sides of the inequality I just wrote in this comment by 5 5 and you have that the minimum is 5.

mathh mathh - 6 years, 11 months ago

From z^5=1 we get 5 solutions,but 4 of them are complex...

Nikola Djuric - 6 years, 6 months ago

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how do you move to complex numbers from the system of equation given

TEKUMSA GENTELGUY - 6 years, 5 months ago

It's given in the problem statement that x , y , z R x,y,z\in\mathbb R are positive.

mathh mathh - 3 years, 8 months ago
Kenneth Tay
Jul 9, 2014

By AM-GM, 1 = x + 1 y z + z 2 3 x z 2 y z 3 1 = \frac{x + \frac{1}{yz} + z^2}{3} \geq \sqrt[3]{\frac{xz^2}{yz}} , i.e. 1 x z y 1 \geq \frac{xz}{y} . Similarly, 1 = y + 1 x z 2 y x z 1 = \frac{y + \frac{1}{xz}}{2} \geq \sqrt{\frac{y}{xz}} , i.e. 1 y x z 1\geq \frac{y}{xz} . Taking the 2 inequalities above together, we must have y x z = 1 \frac{y}{xz} = 1 , or y = x z y = xz . Substituting this into the 2nd equation and using AM-GM again, 2 = y + 1 y 2 y 1 y = 2. 2 = y + \frac{1}{y} \geq 2 \sqrt{y \cdot \frac{1}{y}} = 2. Equality must hold in the inequality above, i.e. y = 1 / y y = 1/y , or y = 1.

This also implies that xz = 1, or 1 z = x \frac{1}{z} = x . Substituting this into the first equation, we get x + x + 1 x 2 = 3 , 2 x 3 3 x 2 + 1 = 0 , ( x 1 ) 2 ( 2 x + 1 ) = 0. x + x + \frac{1}{x^2} = 3, \\ 2x^3 - 3x^2 + 1 = 0, \\ (x-1)^2(2x+1) = 0. Since x must be positive, the only solution is x = 1. This implies that the only solution is (1,1,1), so the desired sum is 3.

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