Exercise 1-16.

(a) Show that (x + y)2 = x2 + y 2 (x + y) = x + y (b) Using the fact that x2 + 2xy + y 2 = (x + y)2 0, show that 4x2 + 6xy + 4y 2 > 0 unless x and y are both 0. (c) Use part (b) to nd out when (x + y)4 = x4 + y 4 . (d) Find out when (x + y)5 = x5 + y 5 . Hint: From the assumption (x + y)5 = x5 + y 5 you should be able to derive the equation x3 + 2x2 y + 2xy 2 + y 3 = 0, if xy = 0. This implies that (x + y)3 = x2 y + xy 2 = xy(x + y). You should now be able to make a good guess as to when (x + y)n = xn + y n ; the proof is contained in Problem 11-63. (a) In general, (x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y 2 . If (x + y)2 = x2 + y 2 , then 2xy = 0. If x = 0 and y = 0, then 2xy = 0. If either or both x and y equals 0, then 2xy = 0. That is, (x+y)2 = x2 +y 2 only when x = 0 or y = 0 or both. Similarly, in general, (x + y)3 = x3 + 3x2 y + 3xy 2 + y 3 . If (x + y)3 = x3 + y 3 , then 3x2 y + 3xy 2 = 0. That is, 3x2 y + 3xy 2 = 0; x2 y + xy 2 = 0; (xy)(x + y) = 0. The latter equation is true only if xy = 0 or if x + y = 0 or both. xy equals 0 if x = 0 or if y = 0 or both. Solving x + y = 0, we have that x = y. So, (xy)(x + y) = 0 and (x + y)3 = x3 + y 3 if x = 0 or if y = 0 or if x = y or any combination. (b) Show that 4x2 + 6xy + 4y 2 > 0 unless x and y are both 0. In general, (x + y)4 = x4 + 4x3 y + 6x2 y 2 + 4xy 3 + y 4 = x4 + (xy)(4x2 + 6xy + 4y 2 ) + y 4 Since a4 = a a a a = (aa) (aa) = a2 a2 = (a2 )2 , letting a = x + y gives that (x + y)4 = ((x + y)2 )2 . Since a2 0 for all a, (x + y)4 = ((x + y)2 )2 0 for all x and y. That is, (x + y)4 = x4 + (xy)(4x2 + 6xy + 4y 2 ) + y 4 ) + x4 0, for all x and y. 1
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only when x = 0 or y = 0, only when x = 0 or y = 0 or x = y,

Then, x4 + y 4 (xy)(4x2 + 6xy + 4y 2 ). NOT SOLVED: It is clear that if only one of x = 0 or y = 0, then the expression of interest is strictly positive. It is also clear that if both are 0, then the expression equals 0. It is not clear to me that for all non-zero x and y the expression must be strictly positive. That is, I cannot prove that there do not exist some non-zero x and y such that the expression is negative. Heres an idea: (x + y)4 = ((x + y)2 )2 = (x + y)2 (x + y)2 = (x2 + 2xy + y 2 ) (x2 + 2xy + y 2 )