Take your time think

Given that x , y x,y and z z are positive integers that satisfy the equation x 2 + y 2 + 1 = x y z x^2 + y^2 + 1 = xyz , find the sum of all distinct values of z z .


The answer is 3.

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.

2 solutions

Department 8
Jul 13, 2015

We have x 2 + y 2 + 1 = x y z x^{2}+y^{2}+1=xyz x 2 + y 2 + 1 x y = z \frac{x^{2}+y^{2} + 1}{xy} = z x y + y x + 1 = z \frac{x}{y}+\frac{y}{x}+1=z

Let above equation be equation one

We see that x y \frac{x}{y} and y x \frac{y}{x} any one of them reduces if x > y x>y or y > x y>x therefore no positive value of z z will be obtained. Therefore x = y x=y .

This means equation one will be

x x + x x + 1 = z \frac{x}{x}+\frac{x}{x}+1=z = 3 = \boxed{3}

It should be x/y+y/x+1/xy instead of x/y+y/x+1

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

i) x=y We have 2x^2+1=x^2*z So x=1, z=3 ☑️

ii) x≠y Suppose there exists (x { 0 },y { 0 }) which are the roots of the equation and x { 0 }+y { 0 }has the minimum value. WLOG, suppose x { 0 }>y { 0 } x { 0 }is the root of equation x^{ 2 }-y { 0 }z { 0 }x+y { 0 }^{ 2 }+1=0 The equation has another root x { 1 } So we have x { 0 }+x { 1 }=y { 0 }z •••••••••• (1) x { 0 }x { 1 }=y { 0 }^{ 2 }+1 ••••••••••(2) From (1), we know x { 1 } is an integer. From (2) 0<x { 1 }=\frac { (y { 0 }^{ 2 }+1) }{ x { 0 } } ≤\frac { (y { 0 }^{ 2 }+1) }{ y { 0 }+1 } <y { 0 } So is another pair of roots of the equation (x { 1 },y { 0 }) which makes x+y smaller. CONFLICTION! So there’s no root pair for x≠y. ∴So z=3

PLEASE HELP ME EDIT THE SOLUTION INTO THE NORMAL MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION!!!!!!

Case 1): x = y x=y ,
we have 2 x 2 + 1 = x 2 z 2x^2 + 1 = x^2 z
so x = 1 , z = 3 x=1,z=3 \quad \boxed{\checkmark} .

Case 2): x y x\ne y .
Suppose there exists x 0 , y 0 x_0, y_0 which are the roots of the equation and x 0 + y 0 x_0 + y_0 has a minimum value.
WLOG, suppose x 0 > y 0 x_0 >y_0
x 0 x_0 is the root of the equation x 2 y 0 z 0 x + y 0 2 + 1 = 0 x^2 - y_0 z_0 x + y_0 ^2 + 1 = 0 .
The equation has another root x 1 x_1 . So we have
x 0 + x 1 = y 0 z ( 1 ) x_0 + x_1 = y_0 z \quad \quad (1)
x 0 x 1 = y 0 2 + 1 ( 2 ) x_0x_1 = y_0^2 + 1 \quad \quad (2) .
From ( 1 ) (1) , we know that x 1 x_1 is an integer.
From ( 2 ) (2) , 0 < x 1 = y 0 2 + 1 x 0 y 0 2 + 1 y 0 + 1 y 0 0 < x_1 = \frac{y_0^2 + 1}{x_0 } \leq \frac{y_0^2 + 1}{y_0 + 1} ≤ y_ 0
So y {0}=1 is the only way to take the equal-sign. When y {0}=1, x_{0}=2, z still is 3. So (1,2,3), (2,1,3) are the sets of roots. By Vieta Theorem (5,2,3) and (2,5,3) are also two root sets. And they are the only 5 sets. Except these, there is another pair of roots of the equation x 1 , y 0 x_1, y_0 which makes x + y x+y smaller.
CONFLICTION!
So there's no else root pair for x y x\ne y therefore z = 3 z=3 .

Your last conclusion that there are no solution for x not equal to y is not correct. Your equation holds for x = 2, y = 5, z = 3 also.

Shib Shankar Sikder - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

The equations also holds true for x=1, y=2, z=3.

Anshuman Singh Bais - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

Yes it hold for many many other combinations, but always z=3. But how to show it logically? I could not find.

Shib Shankar Sikder - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Shib Shankar Sikder I just found out the logic gap in my solution. Actually \frac { (y { 0 }^{ 2 }+1) }{ y { 0 }+1 } ≤y { 0 }. If and only if y {0}=1 we can take the "=". So (2,1,3) or (1,2,3) indeed makes x+y the smallest. Follow by the Vieta theorem, another set of root is (5,2,3) or (2,5,3). They are he only sets when x≠y. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Zhiwei William Zhang Nope, it holds for more combinations: (5,13,3), (13,34,3), (34,89,3), run a loop, you will find all.

Shib Shankar Sikder - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Shib Shankar Sikder Umm. You are right. I did some calculation and i found that they actually all comes from (1,2,3) and (2,1,3); each set comes out following the Vieta Theorem without changing z.

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Zhiwei William Zhang But why will Z not change? Any logical answer??

Shan Shah - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Shan Shah Think like this:Step 1. each time you make a new set of roots, you just use Vieta Theorem on the variable x, thus y and z wont change. Step 2. Then you exchange the value f x and y, so z still doesn't change. Then you repeat step 1 and step 2.

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Zhiwei William Zhang I'm still not convinced. How do you know that there does not exist an entirely new ( x k , y k ) (x_k, y_k) that wasn't generated from ( x 0 , y 0 ) = ( 1 , 2 ) (x_0, y_0)=(1, 2) that gives a different value of z z ?

Daniel Liu - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Daniel Liu If you take away all the roots generated from (1,2) and if you still can find a root set, then there is always a root set to make x+y smaller, which is contradicted to condition "x and y are positive integers"

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Zhiwei William Zhang Wait, so you can't find a smaller root set given ( 1 , 2 ) (1,2) ?

Daniel Liu - 5 years, 11 months ago

Log in to reply

@Daniel Liu We cannot if x and y are positive integers. If x=y, then (1,1,3) is a root set. If x≠y, then x+y≥3, which only (1,2)&(2,1) satisfies.

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

@Daniel Liu See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof by infinite_descent

Zhiwei William Zhang - 5 years, 11 months ago

@Zhiwei William Zhang Okk, thank you, I shall study :)

Shib Shankar Sikder - 5 years, 11 months ago

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...