Solve the following system of equations

( 4
x y 4 = 240
:
x3 2y 3 = 3(x2 4y 2 ) 4(x 8y)
Solution. Setting y = 2t: From the first equation, we have
x4 16t4 = 240;
and hence we get
x4 + 16 = 16(t4 + 16): (1)
From the second equation, we have
x3 16t3 = 3(x2 16t2 ) 4(x 16t);
or
x3 3x2 + 4x = 16(t3 3t2 + 4t): (2)
Clearly, the original system of equations cannot be satisfied when x = 0 or
y = 0: So let us consider the case x 6= 0 and y 6= 0 (or t 6= 0). From (1) and (2),
we get
(x3 3x2 + 4x)(t4 + 16) = (t3 3t2 + 4t)(x4 + 16):
4
It is easy to see that this equation has two roots x = t and x = : So, after
t
factorizing, it gives
(tx 4)(t x)[(t2 3t + 4)x2 (3t2 8t + 12)x + (4t2 12t + 16)] = 0:
And thus, we have t = x; or tx = 4; or
(t2 3t + 4)x2 (3t2 8t + 12)x + (4t2 12t + 16) = 0:
Case 1. t = x: In this case, the equation (1) cannot be satisfied, so there is no
root.
Case 2. tx = 4: From (1), we get
256
x4 + 16 = 16 + 16 ;
x4
which gives x = 4 or x = 4: It follows that y = 2 or y = 2: Clearly, (4; 2)
and ( 4; 2) satisfy the original system of equations.
Case 3. (t2 3t + 4)x2 (3t2 8t + 12)x + (4t2 12t + 16) = 0: Let
f (x) = (t2 3t + 4)x2 (3t2 8t + 12)x + (4t2 12t + 16):
We have
f = (3t2 8t + 12)2 4(t2 3t + 4)(4t2 12t + 16)
= (7t2 20t + 28)(t 2)2 0:
So f (x) 0 for all x: And thus f (x) = 0 has real root if and only if t = 2; from
which it follows that x = 2: So we have x = t = 2: But these values cannot
satisfied (1), so there is no root in this case.
Finally, we conclude that the original system of equations has two roots: (4; 2)
and ( 4; 2):