<s>[INST] Two algebra questions I have two questions that I need help with:
1) How many single digit even natural number solutions are there for the equation $A+B+C+D = 24$ such that $A+B > C+D$
A)20 B)11 C)16 D)24
2) Three positive real numbers $x,y,z$ are such that $x+y+Z = 1$. which of the following inequalities best discribe the relation between $XY,YZ,ZX$.
A) $xy+yz+zx > 1/3$
B) $xy+yz+zx <1/3$
C) $xy+yz+zx \le 1/3$
D) $xy+yz+zx \le 2/3$
 [/INST] For the first question, you have on the one hand that $(A+B)+(C+D)=24$ and on the other hand that $A+B>C+D$. What are the possibilities for $A+B$ and $C+D$? Clearly you must have $A+B>12$ and $C+D<12$. If two single-digit natural numbers add up to $11$ or less, what are the possibilities? (Note that the answer will depend on whether $0$ counts as a natural number.)
The second question is harder. Because it’s multiple choice, however, you can solve it by elimination. First, if you set $x=y=z=\frac13$, you find that $xy+yz+zx=\frac13$; assuming that one of the answers actually does give the set of possible values, this rules out choices (A) and (B), since they both exclude $\frac13$ from the set of possible values. Next, note that
$$1=1^2=(x+y+z)^2=x^2+y^2+z^2+2(xy+yz+zx)\;,$$ so
$$xy+yz+zx=\frac12\Big(1-(x^2+y^2+z^2)\Big)\;.$$
Now $x^2+y^2+z^2$ is certainly positive, so $1-(x^2+y^2+z^2)<1$, and therefore
$$xy+yz+zx<\frac12\;.$$
Answer (D) therefore includes too much to be the exact set of possible values: it includes $\frac12$, which we now know isn’t possible. Thus, only (C) can be the exact set of possible values of $xy+yz+zx$.
In fact this can be proved by showing that $x^2+y^2+z^2\ge\frac13$ when $x+y+z=1$ and $x,y$, and $z$ are positive, but I don’t immediately see a way to do that without using a bit more than what I consider precalculus algebra.
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