What happened to the squares?

Algebra Level 3

If a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0 and a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 216 { a }^{ 3 }+{ b }^{ 3 }+{ c }^{ 3 }=216 , find the value of a b c abc .


The answer is 72.

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2 solutions

Julian Yu
Jun 14, 2016

Note that a 3 + b 3 + c 3 3 a b c = ( a + b + c ) ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b b c c a ) { a }^{ 3 }+{ b }^{ 3 }+{ c }^{ 3 }-3abc=(a+b+c)({ a }^{ 2 }+{ b }^{ 2 }+{ c }^{ 2 }-ab-bc-ca) .

However, a + b + c = 0 a+b+c=0 , so a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 3 a b c { a }^{ 3 }+{ b }^{ 3 }+{ c }^{ 3 }=3abc

Thus, a b c = 216 3 = 72 abc=\frac { 216 }{ 3 } =\boxed { 72 }

Sam Bealing
Jun 14, 2016

Let a , b , c a,b,c be the roots of cubic polynomial F ( x ) F(x) :

p = a + b + c = 0 q = a b + a c + b c r = a b c p=a+b+c=0 \\ q=ab+ac+bc\\ r=abc

F ( x ) = ( x a ) ( x b ) ( x c ) = x 3 p x 2 + q x r = x 3 + q x r F(x)=(x-a)(x-b)(x-c)=x^3-px^2+qx-r=x^3+qx-r

F ( a ) = 0 a 3 + q a r = 0 a 3 = r q a F(a)=0 \implies a^3+qa-r=0 \implies a^3=r-q a

We have symmetric results for b b and c c :

a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 216 ( r q a ) + ( r q b ) + ( r q c ) = 216 3 r ( a + b + c ) q = 216 3 r = 216 a^3+b^3+c^3=216 \implies (r-qa)+(r-qb)+(r-qc)=216 \implies 3r-(a+b+c)q=216 \implies 3r=216

r = 216 3 = 72 r=\dfrac{216}{3}=72

a b c = 72 \color{#20A900}{\boxed{\boxed{abc=72}}}

Moderator note:

Unfortunately, the choice of presentation obscures what is actually happening. What we are really going for, is a 3 + b 3 + c 3 3 a b c = ( a + b + c ) ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b b c c a ) a^3 + b^3 + c^3 - 3abc = (a+b+c)(a^2 +b^2 + c^2 - ab-bc-ca) .

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