Algebra · real student question

Solve the system 5y + 2 + 2zx = 0, 5x + 5 + 2zy = 0, x^2 + y^2 = 1.

Question

Solve the system

{5y+2+2zx=05x+5+2zy=0x2+y2=1\begin{cases}5y+2+2zx=0\\ 5x+5+2zy=0\\ x^{2}+y^{2}=1\end{cases}

Step-by-step solution

  1. Recognise the Lagrange structure. These are exactly the stationarity conditions for optimising f(x,y)=5xy+2x+5yf(x,y)=5xy+2x+5y on the unit circle: f+zg=0\nabla f+z\nabla g=0 with g=x2+y21g=x^{2}+y^{2}-1, and zz is the multiplier. Knowing this predicts four solutions (two maxima/minima and two saddle-type points) and tells you every answer must lie on the circle.

  2. Parametrise the constraint. Setting x=costx=\cos t, y=sinty=\sin t satisfies the third equation automatically and turns the first two into

    5sint+2+2zcost=0,5cost+5+2zsint=05\sin t+2+2z\cos t=0,\qquad 5\cos t+5+2z\sin t=0

  3. Eliminate the multiplier zz. Multiply the first by sint\sin t, the second by cost\cos t, and subtract; the 2zsintcost2z\sin t\cos t terms cancel:

    5sin2t+2sint5cos2t5cost=05\sin^{2}t+2\sin t-5\cos^{2}t-5\cos t=0

    This single equation in tt has exactly four roots in [0,2π)[0,2\pi), which is where the count of four solutions comes from.

  4. Read off the two rational solutions. Two roots give recognisable points. At (x,y)=(35,45)(x,y)=\left(\tfrac35,\tfrac45\right) the first equation gives 4+2+2z35=04+2+2z\cdot\tfrac35=0, so z=5z=-5; the second gives 3+5+2(5)45=88=03+5+2(-5)\tfrac45=8-8=0 ✓. At (x,y)=(1,0)(x,y)=(-1,0): the first gives 0+2+2z(1)=00+2+2z(-1)=0 so z=1z=1, and the second gives 5+5+0=0-5+5+0=0 ✓.

  5. Find the remaining two, which involve 11\sqrt{11}. The other two roots satisfy 20x2+12x7=020x^{2}+12x-7=0 and 20y2+24y+5=020y^{2}+24y+5=0, giving

    (x,y,z)=(3+21110, 61110, 4+112),(321110, 6+1110, 4112)\left(x,y,z\right)=\left(\frac{-3+2\sqrt{11}}{10},\ \frac{-6-\sqrt{11}}{10},\ \frac{4+\sqrt{11}}{2}\right),\quad\left(\frac{-3-2\sqrt{11}}{10},\ \frac{-6+\sqrt{11}}{10},\ \frac{4-\sqrt{11}}{2}\right)

  6. Verify every candidate against all three equations — especially the constraint. For the 11\sqrt{11} pair, x2+y2=9+1211+44100+361211+11100=100100=1x^{2}+y^{2}=\dfrac{9+12\sqrt{11}+44}{100}+\dfrac{36-12\sqrt{11}+11}{100}=\dfrac{100}{100}=1 ✓, and expanding the first two equations with (11)2=11\left(\sqrt{11}\right)^{2}=11 gives exactly 00 in both. This check is essential: a proposed solution set that fails x2+y2=1x^{2}+y^{2}=1 is wrong no matter how tidy it looks.

Answer

(35,45,5), (1,0,1), (3+21110,61110,4+112), (321110,6+1110,4112)\left(\tfrac35,\tfrac45,-5\right),\ (-1,0,1),\ \left(\tfrac{-3+2\sqrt{11}}{10},\tfrac{-6-\sqrt{11}}{10},\tfrac{4+\sqrt{11}}{2}\right),\ \left(\tfrac{-3-2\sqrt{11}}{10},\tfrac{-6+\sqrt{11}}{10},\tfrac{4-\sqrt{11}}{2}\right)

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