Let
a
,
b
,
c
be non-zero complex numbers such that
a
2
b
+
3
c
=
b
2
c
+
3
a
=
c
2
a
+
3
b
.
Find the sum of all (distinct) possible values of
∣
∣
∣
a
2
5
b
2
+
5
c
2
∣
∣
∣
.
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Let k be the complex number such that a 2 b + 3 c = b 2 c + 3 a = c 2 a + 3 b = k , then 2 b + 3 c 2 c + 3 a 2 a + 3 b = a k = b k = c k , adding the equations we get 5 ( a + b + c ) = k ( a + b + c ) .
1) If a + b + c = 0 then k = 5 , and solving the linear equations we easily obtain a = b = c . Thus one value of ∣ ∣ ∣ c 2 5 a 2 + 5 b 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ is 10.
2) If a + b + c = 0 , since a = 0 and b = 0 there exists a non-zero λ ∈ C such that b = λ a , then c = ( − 1 − λ ) a . Replacing in a 2 b + 3 c = b 2 c + 3 a we get a 2 λ a + 3 ( − 1 − λ ) a 1 − 3 − λ − 3 λ − λ 2 0 = λ a 2 ( − 1 − λ ) a + 3 a = λ 1 − 2 λ = 1 − 2 λ = λ 2 + λ + 1 Then λ = ω or λ = ω 2 , where ω is the primitive third root of unity. Hence, in this case, we have the solutions ( a , ω a , ω 2 a ) and ( a , ω 2 a , ω a ) .
Finally, if ( a , b , c ) = ( a , ω a , ω 2 a ) then ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ a 2 5 b 2 + 5 c 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ = ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ a 2 5 ω 2 a 2 + 5 ω 4 a 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ = ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ a 2 5 ω 2 a 2 + 5 ω a 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ ∣ = ∣ 5 ω 2 + 5 ω ∣ = ∣ − 5 ∣ = 5 . Analogously, if ( a , b , c ) = ( a , ω 2 a , ω a ) we get ∣ ∣ ∣ a 2 5 b 2 + 5 c 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ = 5 .
Therefore, the sum of all possible values of ∣ ∣ ∣ a 2 5 b 2 + 5 c 2 ∣ ∣ ∣ is 1 0 + 5 = 1 5 .