Not so simple as sub and sub

Algebra Level 3

a 4 + b 4 + c 4 a 2 b 2 + c 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) \large {\frac{a^4+b^4+c^4}{a^2b^2+ c^2(a^2+b^2)}}

Find the value of the expression above if a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0 .


The answer is 2.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

3 solutions

First simplify the denominator:

a 2 b 2 + c 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) = a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 = ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 2 a b c ( a + b + c ) a^2b^2+c^2(a^2+b^2)=a^2b^2+a^2c^2+b^2c^2=(ab+ac+bc)^2-2abc(a+b+c) But a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0 .So 2 a b c ( a + b + c ) = 2 a b c ( 0 ) = 0 2abc(a+b+c)=2abc(0)=0 and we are left with ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 (ab+ac+bc)^2 Now the numerator:

a 4 + b 4 + c 4 a^4+b^4+c^4 can be written as ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) 2 2 ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) (a^2+b^2+c^2)^2-2(a^2b^2+a^2c^2+b^2c^2) .

Which can be written as ( ( a + b + c ) 2 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) ) 2 2 ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) ((a+b+c)^2-2(ab+ac+bc))^2-2(a^2b^2+a^2c^2+b^2c^2)

But we know that a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 = ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 a^2b^2+a^2c^2+b^2c^2=(ab+ac+bc)^2 and that a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0

So the numerator can be nicely simplified as ( 0 2 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) ) 2 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 = 4 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 = 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 (0^2-2(ab+ac+bc))^2-2(ab+ac+bc)^2\\=4(ab+ac+bc)^2-2(ab+ac+bc)^2\\=2(ab+ac+bc)^2

So a 4 + b 4 + c 4 a 2 b 2 + c 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) = 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 = 2 \frac{a^4+b^4+c^4}{a^2b^2+c^2(a^2+b^2)}=\frac{2(ab+ac+bc)^2}{(ab+ac+bc)^2}=\boxed{2}

c o r r e c t ! correct! @Vaibhav Prasad

Nihar Mahajan - 6 years, 2 months ago

Log in to reply

Ha ha :) :D

Vaibhav Prasad - 6 years, 2 months ago
Curtis Clement
Apr 13, 2015

( a + b + c ) 2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) = 0 (a+b+c)^2 = a^2 +b^2 +c^2 +2(ab +ac +bc) = 0 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) 2 = 4 ( a b + a c + b c ) 2 \Rightarrow\ (a^2 +b^2 +c^2)^2 = 4 (ab+ac+bc)^2 a 4 + b 4 + c 4 + 2 ( a 2 b 2 + b 2 c 2 + a 2 c 2 ) = 4 ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) + 8 a b c ( a + b + c ) a^4 +b^4 +c^4 +2(a^2 b^2 +b^2 c^2 +a^2 c^2)=4(a^2 b^2 +a^2 c^2 +b^2 c^2)+8abc(a+b+c) From a+b+c = 0: a 4 + b 4 + c 4 = 2 ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) a^4 +b^4 +c^4 = 2 (a^2 b^2 +a^2 c^2 +b^2 c^2 ) a 4 + b 4 + c 4 a 2 b 2 + c 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) = 2 ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) ( a 2 b 2 + a 2 c 2 + b 2 c 2 ) = 2 \therefore\frac{a^4 +b^4 +c^4}{a^2 b^2 +c^2 (a^2 +b^2)} = \frac{2(a^2 b^2 +a^2 c^2 +b^2 c^2 )}{(a^2 b^2 +a^2 c^2 +b^2 c^2 )} = \boxed{2}

Jeitendra Sharma
Apr 13, 2015

(a^4+b^4+c^4)= (a^2+b^2+c^2)^2 - 2(a^2b^2+b^2c^2+c^2a^2) use this relation.

Moderator note:

Can you elaborate more?

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...