Find the sum of integers c for all triples of integers ( a , b , c ) , a ≤ b ≤ c , that satisfy the system of equations ⎩ ⎪ ⎨ ⎪ ⎧ a 2 − b c = 9 1 b 2 − a c = 9 1 c 2 − a b = 9 1
Details and assumptions
If a number c appears in several different triples ( a , b , c ) , it must be counted with multiplicity.
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This solution is somewhat shorter and nicer than the intended one. All correct solutions were variations of these two.
Much arithmetic in this proof is used to get from 91 = b^2 + bc + c^2 to 91>= 3b^2. But really, that's immediate from 0 < b < c.
Very nice proof, I should add.
(a-b)(a+b+c) = a^2 - b^2 + ac - bc = 0
(b-c)(a+b+c) = 0
(c-a)(a+b+c) = 0
Note that if a+b+c is not equal to 0, then a = b = c; but 91 = a^2 - bc = 0 is a contradiction.
Thus we have a+b+c = 0
(b+c)^2 - bc = 91
b^2 + c^2 + bc = 91
Clearly, a <= b <= 0 <= c or a<= 0 <= b <= c. If a <= 0 <= b <= c. If b = 0, ac = - 91; an impossibility since a = -c.
Thus either a <= b < 0 <= c or a<= 0 < b <= c.
Every solution (a,b,c) corresponds to another valid solution (-c,-b,-a). Thus it suffices to consider the cases where b and c >0
Going back to b^2 + c^2 + bc = 91, simple exhausting of cases gives us:
(-10,1,9) (-11,5,6)
as the only solutions with b and c >0. We thus have (-9,-1,10) and (-6,-5,11) are the other solutions. Summing gives 36
Subtract any 2 of the equations, eg, 1st and 2nd. (a-b) (a+b+c)=0 If possible, let a=b and further, =k. Hence, subtracting other 2nd and 3rd, (b-c) (a+b+c)=0, gives c= -2k <since a=b=c is not possible as it gives 0=91 upon substituting in given equation> Further, putting c= -2k and a= k in 1st equation, we get 3 {k^2} = 91, which is not possible as k is an integer. Thus our only possibility is a+b+c=0 and none of the two being equal. Now, ab= c^2 -91, and a+b= -c. Thus, x^2 + cx + c^2-91 = 0 has roots a and b. Hence its discriminant should be an integer. 364- 3 {c^2} is a perfect square. We proceed by trial and error with values of c starting from c=1 until this becomes negative. (Note that if c= x satisfies, then c= -x shall also satisfy) We evaluate both the roots of the equation, and in each case, choose the greatest among c and the roots, as a possible value of c. To further shorten this trial and error procedure, suppose we have already obtained the roots x and y for some value c= z. Now we can avoid going for c= x and c= y as we know owing to the symmetry between a, b, and c, they too must satisfy the equations. The obtained triplets are: (-10, -1, 9), (-9, 1, 10), (-6, 5, 11) (-11, -5, 6)
Subtracting the second equation from the first one, we get ( a − b ) ( a + b + c ) = 0 . Similarly, subtracting the third equation from the second and the first from the third, we get ( b − c ) ( a + b + c ) = 0 and ( c − a ) ( a + b + c ) = 0 . If a + b + c = 0 , then a = b = c , which implies that a 2 − b c = a 2 − a 2 = 0 . Because a 2 − b c = 9 1 , this is impossible, so a + b + c = 0 . Thinking of a as a parameter, we have the following system of equations for b and c : { b + c = − a b c = a 2 − 9 1 Note that the original system is equivalent to this one, because when a + b + c = 0 all three equations become equivalent.
From the Vieta's formula, b and c are roots of the following quadratic equation in x : x 2 + a x + ( a 2 − 9 1 ) = 0 . For the roots to be integers, the discriminant a 2 − 4 ( a 2 − 9 1 ) = 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 must be a complete square.
Suppose 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 = m 2 , m ≥ 0 . Then, because b ≤ c , b = 2 − a − m , c = 2 − a + m . Because a ≤ b ≤ c and a + b + c = 0 , a ≤ 0 . Because 3 a 2 = 3 6 4 − m 2 ≤ 3 6 4 , ∣ a ∣ ≤ 1 1 .
Case 1. a = − 1 1 . Then m = 1 , and we get ( a , b , c ) = ( − 1 1 , 5 , 6 ) .
Case 2. a = − 1 0 . Then m = 8 , and we get ( a , b , c ) = ( − 1 0 , 1 , 9 ) .
Case 3. a = − 9 . Then m = 1 1 , and we get ( a , b , c ) = ( − 9 , − 1 , 1 0 ) .
Case 4. a = − 8 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
Case 5. a = − 7 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
Case 6. a = − 6 . Then m = 1 6 , and we get ( a , b , c ) = ( − 6 , − 5 , 1 1 ) .
Case 7. a = − 5 . Then m = 1 7 , and we get b = − 6 , which is less than a , so no solutions.
Case 8. a = − 4 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
Case 9. a = − 3 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
Case 10. a = − 2 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
Case 11. a = − 1 . Then m = 1 9 , and we get b = − 9 , which is less than a , so no solutions.
Case 12. a = 0 . Then 3 6 4 − 3 a 2 is not a complete square, no solutions.
So, overall we got four solutions: ( − 1 1 , 5 , 6 ) , ( − 1 0 , 1 , 9 ) , ( − 9 , − 1 , 1 0 ) , ( − 6 , − 5 , 1 1 ) . Therefore, the answer is 6 + 9 + 1 0 + 1 1 = 3 6 .
a²-b²-bc+ac=(a+b)(a-b)+c(a-b)=(a-b)(a+b+c)=0,
we get, a=b or a+b+c=0;
Similarly, b²-c²-ac+ab=(b+c)(b-c)+a(b-c)=(b-c)(a+b+c)=0,
b=c, or a+b+c=0;
if a=b=c, we obtain 0=91 (not possible), so a≠b≠c and a+b+c=0,
c=-(a+b);
since a≤b≤c,
therefore, a<0, a+b<0, c>0.
and we have c²-ab=(a+b)²-ab=91,
solving the indefinite equation,
all possible different values of a,b,c that satisfies the equations are
a=-11, b=5, c=6
a=-10, b=1, c=9
a=-9, b=-1, c=10
a=-6, b=-5, c=11
the sum of integers c = 6+9+10+11=36
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Since 91 is not a perfect square, all variables are non-zero. Not all of them can be positive, since from b ≥ a and c ≥ a we would get in that case a 2 − b c ≤ 0 < 9 1 . Not all of them can be negative either, because if ( a , b , c ) is a solution, then so is ( − c , − b , − a ) . It follows that c > 0 and a < 0 , and we can restrict our search to positive b 's.
Now observe that 9 1 ( b − c ) = b ( b 2 − a c ) − c ( c 2 − a b ) = b 3 − c 3 , so 9 1 = b − c b 3 − c 3 = b 2 + b c + c 2 = ( c + 2 b ) 2 + 4 3 b 2 ≥ ( 2 3 b ) 2 + 4 3 b 2 = 3 b 2 . This means that 9 1 ≥ 3 b 2 , so b ∈ { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 } . The only values that result in integral c are b = 1 , c = 9 and b = 5 , c = 6 . This leads to the solutions a = − 1 0 , b = 1 , c = 9 and a = − 1 1 , b = 1 , c = 6 , and the other two that can be obtained from negating all variables. The sum of all c s is then 9 + 6 + 1 0 + 1 1 = 3 6 .