9

5. If A, B, C are three dihedral angles of a trihedral angle, show that sin A, sin B,
sin C satisfy the triangle inequality.
Solution. Let a, b, c be the face angles of the trihedral angle opposite to A, B, C
respectively. Since
sin a sin b sin c
= =
sin A sin B sin C
by the Law of Sines for spherical triangles, it suffices to show that sin b + sin c >
sin a, or
1 1 1 1
2 sin (b + c) cos (b − c) > 2 sin a cos a,
2 2 2 2
for any labelling of the angles. We now use the following properties of a, b, c:
(i) they satisfy the triangle inequality, (ii) 0 < a + b + c < 2π.
Hence, cos 21 (b − c) > cos 12 a. To complete the proof, we show that

1 1
sin (b + c) > sin a.
2 2
This follows immediately if b + c ≤ π; if b + c > π, then
   
1 1 1 b+c a
sin (b + c) = sin π − (b + c) > sin a since π − > .
2 2 2 2 2

Comment: More generally, if a1 , a2 , . . . , an are the sides of a spherical n-gon

(convex), it then follows by induction over n that

sin a1 + sin a2 + · · · + sin an > 2 sin ai , i = 1, 2, . . . , n.

It also follows by induction that

| sin a1 | + | sin a2 | + · · · + | sin an | > | sin(a1 + a2 + · · · + an )|

for any angles a1 , a2 , . . . , an .

6. Are there any integral solutions (x, y, z) of the Diophantine equation

(x − y − z)3 = 27xyz

other than (−a, a, a) or such that xyz = 0?

Solution. Let x = u3 , y = v 3 , z = w3 , so that u3 − v 3 − w3 = 3uvw or equivalently

(u − v − w)((u + v)2 + (u + w)2 + (v − w)2 ) = 0.

Hence an infinite class of non-trivial solutions is given by

x = (v + w)3 , y = v3 , z = w3 .

Whether or not there are any other solutions is an open problem.