The 100 followers problem!

Algebra Level 5

Given that

x y + y z + z x = 0 , \frac{ x}{y} + \frac{ y}{z} + \frac{ z}{x} = 0,

the value of

x 14 z 7 + y 14 x 7 + z 14 y 7 ( x 10 z 5 + y 10 x 5 + z 10 y 5 ) ( x 4 z 2 + y 4 x 2 + z 4 y 2 ) \frac{x^{14}z^7+y^{14}x^7+z^{14}y^7}{(x^{10}z^5+y^{10}x^5+z^{10}y^5)(x^{4}z^2+y^{4}x^2+z^{4}y^2)}

can be expressed as a b \frac a b for coprime positive integers. What is a + b a+ b ?


The answer is 17.

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1 solution

The given condition can also be expressed as x 2 z + y 2 x + z 2 y = 0 x^2z+y^2x+z^2y=0 . Now, let a = x 2 z a=x^2z , b = y 2 x b=y^2x and c = z 2 y c=z^2y . Hence, a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0 and the required expression can be expressed as: a 7 + b 7 + c 7 ( a 5 + b 5 + c 5 ) ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) \dfrac{a^7+b^7+c^7}{(a^5+b^5+c^5)(a^2+b^2+c^2)}

Let's use Newton's Sums. Let S 1 = a + b + c S_1=a+b+c , S 2 = a b + a c + b c S_2=ab+ac+bc , S 3 = a b c S_3=abc and P n = a n + b n + c n P_n=a^n+b^n+c^n .

P 1 = S 1 = 0 P 2 = P 1 S 1 2 S 2 = 2 S 2 P 3 = P 2 S 1 P 1 S 2 + 3 S 3 = 3 S 3 P 4 = P 3 S 1 P 2 S 2 + P 1 S 3 = 2 S 2 2 P 5 = P 4 S 1 P 3 S 2 + P 2 S 3 = 5 S 2 S 3 P 6 = P 5 S 1 P 4 S 2 + P 3 S 3 = 2 S 2 2 + 3 S 3 2 P 7 = P 6 S 1 P 5 S 2 + P 4 S 3 = 7 S 2 2 S 3 P_1=S_1=0 \\ P_2=P_1S_1-2S_2=-2S_2 \\ P_3=P_2S_1-P_1S_2+3S_3=3S_3 \\ P_4=P_3S_1-P_2S_2+P_1S_3=2S_2^2 \\ P_5=P_4S_1-P_3S_2+P_2S_3=-5S_2S_3 \\ P_6=P_5S_1-P_4S_2+P_3S_3=-2S_2^2+3S_3^2\\ P_7=P_6S_1-P_5S_2+P_4S_3=7S_2^2S_3

So, the expression is now:

P 7 P 5 P 2 = 7 S 2 2 S 3 ( 5 S 2 S 3 ) ( 2 S 2 ) = 7 S 2 2 S 3 10 S 2 2 S 3 = 7 10 \dfrac{P_7}{P_5P_2}=\dfrac{7S_2^2S_3}{(-5S_2S_3)(-2S_2)}=\dfrac{7S_2^2S_3}{10S_2^2S_3}=\boxed{\dfrac{7}{10}}

Our final answer is then 7 + 10 = 17 7+10=\boxed{17} .

Can u give the link for newton's sum rule

Tanishq Varshney - 6 years, 2 months ago

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Juat search for Newtons sums(or method) in the wiki!

Sualeh Asif - 6 years, 2 months ago

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I was not able to understand on wiki, i remember that someone on brilliant posted it in a simplified way, I want that link

Tanishq Varshney - 6 years, 2 months ago

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@Tanishq Varshney Yes it was posted by Sandeep Raria, I think. Well let me try to find them

Sualeh Asif - 6 years, 2 months ago

@Tanishq Varshney Click here . Actually its newton's "identitities" on brilliant!

Nihar Mahajan - 6 years, 2 months ago

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@Nihar Mahajan thanx for the help ¨ \ddot \smile

Tanishq Varshney - 6 years, 2 months ago

@siddharth bhatt Hey!!!! This question seems ambiguous !.... You never said x,y,z are real ....I tried x=1 y=1 ,z=w where w is the cube root of unity ... and then I am getting funny answers!!! can someone plz help ! irrespective of any values , we should get same answer right??!!:(

Rushikesh Joshi - 6 years, 1 month ago

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You should get the same answer. However, the issue that you're running into is that S 2 = 0 S_2 = 0 , which is why you have a 0 0 \frac 0 0 expression.

Chung Kevin - 5 years, 11 months ago

Nice method. I too did the same.

Mohamed Shuaib Hasan - 5 years, 10 months ago

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Yeah!!! Even i did it in the same way!!!!

Sai Venkatesh - 5 years, 10 months ago

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