Think the other way

Algebra Level 4

The sum of the squares of three positive numbers is 160. One of the numbers is equal to the sum of the other two. The difference between the smaller two numbers is 4. What is the positive difference between the cubes of the smaller two numbers?


The answer is 320.

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2 solutions

Department 8
Jan 27, 2016

Let the largest of the three be a a . We have

a 2 + b 2 + c 2 = 160 a = b + c b c = 4 a^2+b^2+c^2=160 \\ a=b+c \\ b-c=4

Plugging in a = b + c a=b+c in the first equation we get 2 b 2 + 2 b c + c 2 = 160 b 2 + b c + c 2 = 80 2b^2+2bc+c^2=160 \longrightarrow b^2+bc+c^2=80 , multiplying the result with b c = 4 b-c=4 we get b 3 c 3 = 320 b^3-c^3=\boxed{320} .

Moderator note:

You have not shown that these numbers are positive.

You have found the only possible value for b 3 c 3 b^3 -c^3 , but you haven't shown that this value could indeed be achieved.

Yup...Nicely done(+1)....Exactly the solution I was posting :) after solving this problem.

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

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i was also willing to post the same solution but dont know how to use Latex :(

Chirayu Bhardwaj - 5 years, 4 months ago
Aditya Dhawan
Feb 12, 2016

The same method as Lakshya's Let\quad the\quad 3\quad positive\quad numbers\quad be\quad x,y,z\quad such\quad that\quad x<y<z\\ According\quad to\quad the\quad question,\\ \\ { x }^{ 2 }+{ y }^{ 2 }+{ z }^{ 2 }=160\\ x+y=z\\ y-x=4\\ Subsituting\quad the\quad value\quad of\quad z\quad in\quad the\quad first\quad equation,\quad we\quad have\quad { x }^{ 2 }+{ y }^{ 2 }+xy=80\\ Thus\quad { y }^{ 3 }-{ x }^{ 3 }=(y-x)({ x }^{ 2 }+{ y }^{ 2 }+xy)=4\times 80={ \boxed { 320 } }\\

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