⎩ ⎪ ⎪ ⎨ ⎪ ⎪ ⎧ a + b 1 = 3 7 b + c 1 = 4 c + a 1 = 1
If a , b , and c are real numbers that satisfy the system of equations above, find the value of a b c .
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Damn it i did it just solving all three equations. This is much faster!
Not making sense. A number of steps must have been omitted. Subtracting 28/3 from 28/3 to balance the equation gives zero, not 2. I can't validate the last steps. Sorry.
Solve the first equation for b in terms of a :
b = 7 − 3 a 3
Solve the last equation for c in terms of a :
c = a a − 1
Substitute these expressions for b and c into the second equation:
7 − 3 a 3 + a − 1 a = 4
Solving this equation yields a = 3 5 . Substituting this value into the other equations yields b = 2 3 and c = 5 2 .
a b c = ( 3 5 ) ( 2 3 ) ( 5 2 ) = 1 .
This is the most efficient solution.
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I kind of like Alan's solution. When I was working on a solution, I recognized the 'parallelism' of the equations, and so I was looking for something like Alan's solution. I think I overcomplicated my approach, and so I didn't quite find the 'easy' solution. That's when I went for a 'solve by substitution' approach.' Not quite as elegant, but it gets the job done in this case.
I tried a trick method and it worked.
abc=1 if and only if [1/(1+a+1/b)]+[1/(1+b+1/c)]+[1/(1+c+1/a)]=1 (an interesting problem to try as an exercise)
Here [1/(1+a+1/b)]+[1/(1+b+1/c)]+[1/(1+c+1/a)]=1/[1+3/7]+1/[4+1]+1/[1+1]=3/10+1/5+1/2=(3+2+5)/10=1, i.e., abc=1.
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Multiply the three equations:
( a + b 1 ) ( b + c 1 ) ( c + a 1 ) = ( 3 7 ) ( 4 ) ( 1 )
a b c + a b c 1 + a + b 1 + b + c 1 + c + a 1 = 3 2 8
a b c + a b c 1 + 3 7 + 4 + 1 = 3 2 8
a b c + a b c 1 = 2
a b c = 1