Find all triplets of positive real numbers $(x,y,z)$ that satisfy the following system of equations: $$ \begin{cases} x+y^2+z^3=3\\ y+z^2+x^3=3\\ z+x^2+y^3=3. \end{cases}$$
Problem
Source: Latvian TST for Baltic Way 2022 P1
Tags: algebra, system of equations
Kimchiks926
26.10.2022 01:41
This problem was proposed by me and @Blastoor
Assume that $x=\max(x,y,z)$ and $z=\min(x,y,z)$. The other cases can be solved analogously. Note that:
$$ x^3+x^2+x \ge x+y^2+z^3 =3 \implies x^3+x^2+x-3=(x-1)((x+1)^2+1) \ge 0 $$This means that $x \ge 1$. Similarly:
$$ z+z^2+z^3 \le x+y^2+z^3 =3 \implies (z-1)((z+1)^2+1) \le 0 $$This means that $z \le 1$.
Consider the case, when $y \le 1$. Then subtracting the second equation from the first gives us:
\begin{align*}
z^3-z^2 +y^2-y=x^3-x^2 \\
z^2(z-1)+y(y-1) =x^2(x-1)
\end{align*}Since $z \le 1$, $y \le 1$ and $x \ge 1$, then the LHS of the the last expression is $\le 0$, whereas the RHS is $\ge 0$. The equality of both sides is possible if and only if $x=y=z=1$.
Consider the case when $y \ge 1$. Then subtracting the first equation from the third gives us: \begin{align*}
x^2-x +y^3-y^2 = z^3-z \\
x(x-1)+y^2(y-1)=z(z+1)(z-1)
\end{align*}Since $x \ge 1$, $y \ge 1$ and $z \le 1$, then the LHS of the last expression is $\ge 0$, whereas the RHS is $\le 0$. The equality of both sides is possible if and only if $x=y=z=1$.
We conclude that the only triplet satisfying the given system of equations is $(x,y,z)=(1,1,1)$.
grupyorum
26.10.2022 04:05
I claim $(x,y,z)=(1,1,1)$. Let $z=\max\{x,y,z\}$ without loss. Clearly $z\ge 1$ since $3=x+y^2+z^3 \le z+z^2+z^3$. Note, furthermore, that if $z=1$ then $x=y=z=1$. Hence suppose $z>1$. Since $z^3>z^2>z$, we get that $x+y^2<x^3+y<x^2+y^3$. As a result, $y^3-y>x^3-x^2$ and $x^3-x>y^2-y$. Now if $x\ge 1$ then $x^3-x^2\ge 0$ forcing $y\ge 1$. This, however, makes $x+y^2+z^3>3$. Hence, $x<1$. Now, $x^3-x^2>x^3-x$ so we obtain $y^3-y>y^2-y$, yielding $y>1$. However this is contradictory as $0>x^3-x>y^2-y>0$.