Repeated... again.

Algebra Level 2

x x ; y y ; z z are three numbers that satisfy:

{ x 2 + y 2 + 2 ( x y + y z + z x ) = 119 y 2 + z 2 + 2 ( x y + y z + z x ) = 128 z 2 + x 2 + 2 ( x y + y z + z x ) = 135 \begin{cases} x^2 + y^2 + 2(xy + yz + zx) = 119\\ y^2 + z^2 + 2(xy + yz + zx) = 128\\ z^2 + x^2 + 2(xy + yz + zx) = 135 \end{cases}

Calculate x y z |xyz| .


This is part of the series: " It's easy, believe me! "


The answer is 60.

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1 solution

Paul Marion
Nov 28, 2017

If we label the equations 1, 2, and 3 from top to bottom, then

2-1: z 2 x 2 = 9 { z }^{ 2 }-{ x }^{ 2 }=9

3-2: x 2 y 2 = 7 { x }^{ 2 }-{ y }^{ 2 }=7

3-1: z 2 y 2 = 16 { z }^{ 2 }-{ y }^{ 2 }=16

Hold on... the first and last equations look like a pythagorean triple I know. Let's bash those numbers in and see what we get. If z=5, x=4, and y=3, then

2-1: 5 2 4 2 = 9 { 5 }^{ 2 }-{ 4 }^{ 2 }=9

3-2: 4 2 3 2 = 7 { 4}^{ 2 }-{ 3 }^{ 2 }=7

3-1: 5 2 y 3 = 16 { 5 }^{ 2 }-{ y }^{ 3 }=16

All these statements are true, so (x,y,z) = (4,3,5) is a solution, and therefore the solution is 3 × 4 × 5 = 60 3\times 4\times 5=60

(I am aware that this solution lacks the rigour I would like, but the solution jumped so clearly out at me, I could not help but see it)

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