Exponential Dilemma

Algebra Level 2

Consider the set Q Q of ordered triples ( x , y , z ) (x,y,z) , with x x , y y , and z z being integers, and that

x y z = y z x x^{ y^{z} } = y^{zx}

How many elements in Q Q exist does not satisfy the condition x = y = z x = y = z ?

Infinite 3 1 2 4 None

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2 solutions

Efren Medallo
Nov 6, 2017

By the substitution of k = y z k = y^{z} , we reduce this to the form

x k = k x x^k = k^x

Which, by all means, will make it clear that x = k x = k makes the statement true (well, uhm, that is aside from the two other solutions, i.e., x = 2 , k = 4 x=2, k=4 and x = 4 , k = 2 x=4, k=2 ) . This will mean that for all x = n n x = n^n for some integer n n , and this will give us an infinite set of triples of the form ( n n , n , n ) (n^n, n, n) for all positive integers n > 2 n>2 . There.

Jon Haussmann
Sep 15, 2018

An infinite family is given by ( x , y , z ) = ( 1 , 1 , 2 n ) (x,y,z) = (1,-1,2n) , where n n is an integer.

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