IMO 1966 · Problem 5

Solve the system of equations \[ \begin{aligned} |a_1-a_2|x_2+|a_1-a_3|x_3+|a_1-a_4|x_4&=1,\\ |a_2-a_1|x_1+|a_2-a_3|x_3+|a_2-a_4|x_4&=1,\\ |a_3-a_1|x_1+|a_3-a_2|x_2+|a_3-a_4|x_4&=1,\\ |a_4-a_1|x_1+|a_4-a_2|x_2+|a_4-a_3|x_3&=1, \end{aligned} \] where \(a_1,a_2,a_3,a_4\) are four different real numbers.

The official paper mistakenly repeats \(|a_2-a_3|x_3\) instead of \(|a_2-a_4|x_4\) in the second equation and omits \(|a_3-a_4|x_4\) from the third equation; these misprints are corrected above.

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Answer

Let \(m=\min\{a_1,a_2,a_3,a_4\}\) and \(M=\max\{a_1,a_2,a_3,a_4\}\). The unique solution is \[ \boxed{ x_i= \begin{cases} \dfrac{1}{M-m},&a_i=m\ \text{or}\ a_i=M,\\[4pt] 0,&m<a_i<M, \end{cases} \qquad i=1,2,3,4. } \]

Solution

Simultaneously permuting the pairs \((a_i,x_i)\) and the corresponding equations preserves the system. Since the \(a_i\) are distinct, we may therefore assume \[ a_1<a_2<a_3<a_4. \]

Subtracting the first equation from the second, the second from the third, and the third from the fourth gives, respectively, \[ \begin{aligned} (a_2-a_1)(x_1-x_2-x_3-x_4)&=0,\\ (a_3-a_2)(x_1+x_2-x_3-x_4)&=0,\\ (a_4-a_3)(x_1+x_2+x_3-x_4)&=0. \end{aligned} \] Each difference \(a_{i+1}-a_i\) is positive, so \[ \begin{aligned} x_1-x_2-x_3-x_4&=0,\\ x_1+x_2-x_3-x_4&=0,\\ x_1+x_2+x_3-x_4&=0. \end{aligned} \] Subtracting successive equations yields \(2x_2=0\) and \(2x_3=0\). Hence \[ x_2=x_3=0,\qquad x_1=x_4. \] The first original equation now becomes \[ (a_4-a_1)x_4=1, \] which forces \[ x_1=x_4=\frac{1}{a_4-a_1}. \] Thus any solution must have the stated form.

To verify existence, substitute these values. For every \(i\in\{1,2,3,4\}\), the left-hand side of the \(i\)-th equation equals \[ \sum_{j=1}^{4}|a_i-a_j|x_j =\frac{|a_i-a_1|+|a_i-a_4|}{a_4-a_1} =\frac{(a_i-a_1)+(a_4-a_i)}{a_4-a_1} =1. \] Here the added diagonal term is zero, and the computation includes both endpoint indices. The candidate therefore satisfies all four equations and is unique. Restoring the original labels gives the answer above.

The solution was checked against John Scholes' IMO solution archive (Kalva).