Newton's Sum is very popular

Algebra Level 3

{ x + y + z = 1 x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = 3 x 3 + y 3 + z 3 = 7 \begin{cases} &x &+ &y&+ &z&=&1 \\ &x^2&+&y^2&+&z^2&=&3 \\ &x^3&+&y^3&+&z^3&=&7 \end{cases}

If x , y x,y and z z satisfy the values of the system of equations above, find the value of x 5 + y 5 + z 5 x^5 + y^5 + z^5 .


The answer is 21.

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7 solutions

Jessica Wang
Oct 24, 2015

Relevant wiki: Newton's Identities

That's one of the best handwriting I've ever seen!!!

Abdur Rehman Zahid - 5 years, 7 months ago

WOw! Very nice fonts! +1

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 7 months ago

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Thank you : D :D @Pi Han Goh

Jessica Wang - 5 years, 7 months ago

I actually don't know about newtons identity. enlighten me please?

Sanjoy Roy - 5 years, 7 months ago

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Newton's identities .

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 3 months ago

So, what are x, y and z then?

Milad Vazirian - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Doesn't matter. We were asked to find the value of x 5 + y 5 + z 5 x^5+y^5+z^5 only.

For what it's worth: The unordered solution is ( x , y , z ) ( 0.419643 + 0.606291 i , 0.419643 0.606291 i , 1.83929 ) (x,y,z) \approx (-0.419643 + 0.606291i, -0.419643 - 0.606291i, 1.83929) .

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 3 months ago

Please teach me a little about Newton's identities. Actually I have not been taught it yet. I just need the basic idea of how,where and when they are to be used. Thanks in advance.

Debmeet Banerjee - 5 years, 7 months ago

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Read the relevant wiki.You can search for Newton's Identities in the search bar to find the wiki.

Abdur Rehman Zahid - 5 years, 7 months ago

Although I did it using newton Girard identity but I'm pretty sure that you can even do it using other ways too. Probably using brute calculations and binomial theorem or like anshu jha's method

Satyajit Ghosh - 5 years, 6 months ago
Amrit Anand
Oct 24, 2015

Nice approach to solve the question... anyway it's lot easier than the cliched "Newton sums".

jaiveer shekhawat - 5 years, 7 months ago

...by the way how did you find xyz without using newton sums... i mean which identity did u use??

jaiveer shekhawat - 5 years, 7 months ago

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x^3 + y^3 + z^3 - 3xyz = (x+y+z)(x^2 + y^2 + z^2 - xy - xz - yz)

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 7 months ago

I did this way but I think Sir Newton's identities would make it much simpler. 😀😀

Anurag Pandey - 4 years, 10 months ago
Kushal Patel
Nov 12, 2015

The pattern 1,3,7 increases the difference between consecutive terms by 2. The terms then become 1,3,7,13,21. I know this isn't really a solution buts it how I "solved" it .

Nice observation but patterns can "fool" you. For example, you could suppose that the difference between consecutive termes are consecutive powers of 2. That would lead you to think that the solution is 31.

Marcelo Silva - 5 years, 1 month ago
Aditya Iyer
May 10, 2016

I do not know if this counts as a pure mathematical\algebraic solution.

Given the system:- x + y + z = 1

x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 3

x^3 + y^3 + z^3 = 7

If we observe closely there is a pattern here, which could be generalised into a equality given by:-

x^n + y^n + z^n = n^2 - n + 1

This holds true for all the 3 given equalities.

eg. x + y +z = x^1 + y^1 + z^1 (here n=1) = 1^2 - 1 + 1 = 1

eg. x^2 + y^2 + z^2 (here n=2) = 2^2 - 2 + 1 = 4 - 2 + 1 = 3

eg. x^3 + y^3 + z^3 (here n=3) = 3^2 - 3 + 1 = 9 - 3 + 1 = 7

Therefore,

x^5 + y^5 + z^5 = 5^2 - 5 + 1 = 25 - 5 + 1 = 21

Thanks for sharing your approach.

I would say that this is a coincidence that you found a formula for n = 1 , 2 , 3 n = 1, 2, 3 and it holds true for n = 5 n = 5 also. According to your formula, when n = 4 n = 4 , you get 4 2 4 + 1 = 13 4^2 - 4 + 1 = 13 . However, the correct value of x 4 + y 4 + z 4 x^4 + y^4 + z^4 is 11 11 . Please have a look at Jessica Wang's solution to see the correct method.

Pranshu Gaba - 5 years, 1 month ago
Marc Ballon
Nov 16, 2015

Uhm. I get the answer by adding multiples of 2 on the answer. 1+2=3; 3+4=7; 7+6=13; 13+8=21. HAHAHA

Bảo Châu
Nov 13, 2015

Let $\ p=a+b+c$, $\ q=ab+bc+ca$ and $\ r=abc$, we have some useful identities between $\ p, q, r$ and $\ a^n+b^n+c^n$

p/s: this picture was cut from a book about Inequality (PQR technique) which was written by V.Q.B.Can

Dominic Parnell
Nov 15, 2015

don't need any fancy math skills for this (yes including solving it simultaneously!). All you need to notice is that there is a sequence: EQU 1 --> EQU 2 you add 2 to the solution; EQU 2 --> EQU 3 you add 4; EQU 3 --> EQU 4 you add 6; EQU 4 --> EQU 5 you add 8. So in the end you get 1+2=3; 3+4=7; 7+6=13; 13+8=21. QED, the answer is x^5 +y^5 +z^5=21.

Except if you actually solve the equation, x^4 + y^4 + z^4 = 11.

Anthony Kirckof - 5 years, 4 months ago

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