Old AMO problem

a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + d 2 = a 2 b 2 c 2 \large a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=a^2 b^2 c^2

Find the number of unordered non-negative integer quadruples a , b , c , d a,b,c,d such that the above is satisfied.


The answer is 1.

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1 solution

By AM - GM inequality , we have 2 cases:

1. \boxed{1.-} Let's suppose d 1 d \ge 1 , then 4 ( a b c ) 1 2 4 ( a b c d ) 1 2 a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + d 2 4(abc)^{\frac{1}{2}} \leq 4(abcd)^{\frac{1}{2}} \leq a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2 \Rightarrow 256 ( a b c ) 2 256 ( a b c d ) 2 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + d 2 ) 4 . 256(abc)^{2} \leq 256(abcd)^{2} \leq (a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2)^{4}. And ( 256 ( a b c d ) 2 = ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + d 2 ) 4 a = b = c = d 256(abcd)^{2} = (a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2)^{4} \iff a = b = c = d ). In this case,if ( a = b = c = d a = b = c = d ) and if d 2 , then ( a b c ) 2 < ( a b c d ) 2 = a 8 d \ge 2, \space \text{ then } (abc)^2 < (abcd)^2 = a^8 (this case lead us to one case which is impossible)

and if d = 1 = a = b = c , ( a b c ) 2 = 1 < 1 2 + 1 2 + 1 2 + 1 2 = 4 d =1 = a = b = c, (abc)^2 = 1 < 1^2 + 1^2 + 1^2 + 1^2 = 4 (this case is also impossible), so the only possibility is d = 0 d = 0 .

2. \boxed{2.-} If d = 0 d = 0 by AM - GM inequality again, 3 ( a b c ) 2 3 a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ( a b c ) 2 27 ( a b c ) 2 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) 3 3(abc)^{\frac{2}{3}} \leq a^2 + b^2 + c^2 \Rightarrow (abc)^2 \leq 27(abc)^2 \leq (a^2 + b^2 + c^2)^3 and the last inequality is only an equality if and only if a = b = c a = b = c . In this case, ( a b c ) 2 = a 6 27 a 6 (abc)^2 = a^6 \leq 27a^6 and hence, the equation ( a b c ) 2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 (abc)^2 = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 has the only solution ( a , b , c ) = ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) (a,b,c) = (0,0,0) and all this implies that the only solution is ( a , b , c , d ) = ( 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ) (a,b,c,d) = (0,0,0,0)

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