Exercise 2134Algebra › Equations and radicalsOlympiadAdded 3 Nov 2026
A cyclic system
#cyclic system#symmetric#olympiad
Statement
Solve in R3 the system ⎩⎨⎧x2=yz+1y2=zx+1z2=xy+1
Hint
Subtract the equations pairwise to get (x−y)(x+y+z)=0 and its cyclic analogues. Then split into the cases x+y+z=0 and x+y+z=0.
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Solution
Pairwise subtraction. Subtracting the second equation from the first: x2−y2=z(y−x)⟺(x−y)(x+y+z)=0. Similarly, (y−z)(x+y+z)=0,(z−x)(x+y+z)=0.
Case 1: x+y+z=0. Then all three factors in the first position must vanish, so x=y=z. The first equation gives x2=x2+1, impossible. No solutions.
Case 2: x+y+z=0. Then the three subtractions give no further constraint. Substitute z=−(x+y) in the first equation: x2=−y(x+y)+1⟺x2+xy+y2=1. Cyclically, y2+yz+z2=1 and z2+zx+x2=1; with x+y+z=0 these are all the same equation. Adding the three original equations, x2+y2+z2=xy+yz+zx+3. Using (x+y+z)2=x2+y2+z2+2(xy+yz+zx)=0, we get xy+yz+zx=−21(x2+y2+z2), so x2+y2+z2=−21(x2+y2+z2)+3⟹x2+y2+z2=2. So the solution set is contained in {x+y+z=0,x2+y2+z2=2}, a circle of radius 2 in the plane x+y+z=0.
Additional constraint from x2=yz+1. With y+z=−x and yz=x2−1, the numbers y,z are the roots of t2+xt+(x2−1)=0. Its discriminant is x2−4(x2−1)=4−3x2, so real y,z require ∣x∣≤2/3. By symmetry, ∣y∣≤2/3 and ∣z∣≤2/3.
Conclusion. The solution set is {(x,y,z)∈R3:x+y+z=0,x2+y2+z2=2,∣x∣≤2/3,∣y∣≤2/3,∣z∣≤2/3}. On the circle {x+y+z=0,x2+y2+z2=2} the maximum of ∣x∣ is 2>2/3, so the inequality constraints cut the circle into three arcs: on each arc, one of ∣x∣,∣y∣,∣z∣ reaches its largest value and the other two are equal. The boundary points of these arcs are the six permutations of (31,31,−32)and(−31,−31,32). In particular, the solution set is a continuum (three closed arcs), not a discrete set; the six permutations are its boundary points, not additional solutions.
Check of a boundary point. For (x,y,z)=(31,31,−32): x2=31 and yz+1=−32+1=31 ✓; y2=31 and zx+1=−32+1=31 ✓; z2=34 and xy+1=31+1=34 ✓.