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Cyclic maximization (Posted on 2023-12-21) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Let x, y, z be real numbers satisfying x+y+z=0 and x2+y2+z2=6. Find the maximum value of

|(x-y)(y-z)(z-x)|

No Solution Yet Submitted by Danish Ahmed Khan    
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Some Thoughts False starts then ? solution | Comment 1 of 2
[Edit:  I found a solution but not the maximal value of the expression; I was suspicious my answer was not correct and that suspicion was well founded.  See Charlie's response for the solution]


If (x,y,z) = (√3, -√3, 0), both equations are satisfied and the expression to be maximized = 6√3 ? but is it maximal?
(not certain the following is correct)

(x+y+z)^2 = 0 = x^2+y^2+z^2 + 2(xy+xz+yz)
xy+xz+yz = -3   
not sure if this helps; try something else

The 2 equations are a plane and a sphere; they intersect at an ellipse.
z = -(x+y)
x^2+y^2+(x+y)^2=6
x^2 + xy + y^2 = 3  contains the information of both equations
Solve quadratic:
x = [-y ± sqrt(y^2 + 12 - 4y^2)]/2
x = [-y ± √3*sqrt(4 - y^2)]/2     {-2 <= x,y <= 2}
not sure if this helps; try something else

The expression:  |(x-y)(y-z)(z-x)|  substitute z = -(x+y)
= |(x-y)(y+(x+y))(-(x+y)-x)|
= |(x-y)(x+2y)(-1)(2x+y)|
= |2x^3 + 3x^2y - 3xy^2 - 2y^3|

Take partial derivatives of the above:
6x^2 + 6xy - 3y^2 = 0
3x^2 - 6xy - 6y^2 = 0
9(x^2 - y^2) = 0
(x-y)(x+y) = 0           
(skipping a few steps; not looking at second partial derivatives)
So either x=y or x= -y
If x = y, the expression is zero; z = -2x
If x = -y, the expression = -2x^3;  z = 0

Suppose x = -y and z = 0
x^2+y^2+z^2 = 6 becomes
x^2 + x^2 = 6 --> (x,y) = (√3,-√3) or vice versa
|(x-y)(y-z)(z-x)| becomes 2√3 * √3 * √3 = 6√3

The maximum of |(x-y)(y-z)(z-x)| is 6√3 (maybe)

Edited on December 21, 2023, 11:39 am
  Posted by Larry on 2023-12-21 09:02:43

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