Given that: x+y+z=15 where x,y and z are distinct positive integers.
Find what is the biggest possible answer for (xy+xz+yz).
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Suppose we say the integers that makes it largest are x < y < z in that order.
We now show that y − x < 3 and z − y < 3 .
The expression x y + y z + z x is equal to x y + ( x + y ) z .
If y − x ≥ 3 , we can increase x by one and decrease y by 1.
( x + 1 ) ( y − 1 ) = x y + y − x − 1 ≥ x y
A similar argument follows for z − y < 3 .
If y − x = 2 and z − y = 2 , we can increase x by one and decrease z by 1. A similar argument follows.
We consider mod 3. It is well known that if x + y + z ≡ 0 , then x , y , z are congruent, or all different mod 3.
If one of y − x , z − y is 2, then the other is 1. Regardless, z − y + y − x = 3 , thus x , z congruent mod 3. Thus y is congruent to x mod 3, but 0 < y − x < 3 from above, and y cannot be congruent to x. Thus both of y − x , z − y are 1.
Thus the only possible triplet is ( 4 , 5 , 6 ) . Evaluating, we get 74.