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Physics Guru is an online education and competitive examinations preparation portal founded by Manish Verma, an IIT Madras alumnus, providing learning resources for competitive examinations.

The emphasis is on conceptual understanding, analytical thinking and problem solving rather than simply memorising formulas and standard methods.

The objective is to help students understand what they are learning and develop the ability to solve problems they have not seen before.

Solve for $\left\{ {x,y,z} \right\}$,

$x+xy+xyz=12$
$y+yz+xyz=21$
$z+xz+xyz=30$

It may be possible to isolate x, y, z in terms of xyz (say t) as follows:

$x(1+y+yz)=12$ [From the 1st equation]

Let us find y+yz in terms of t from the 2nd equation.

$y+yz=21-xyz=21-t$

Now, this y+yz can be substituted in the 1st step above.

$x(1+21-t)=12$

$\therefore x = \frac{{12}}{{22 - t}}$

Also, $y(1+z+xz)=21$ [From the 2nd equation]

$z+xz=30-t$ [From the 3rd equation]

So, $y(1+30-t)=21$

$\therefore y = \frac{{21}}{{31 - t}}$

Putting these values of x and y in the 1st equation $x+xy+t=12$ or $x(1+y)+t=12$,

$\left( {\frac{{12}}{{22 - t}}} \right)\left( {1 + \frac{{21}}{{31 - t}}} \right) + t = 12$

$ \Rightarrow \left( {\frac{{12}}{{22 - t}}} \right)\left( {\frac{{52 - t}}{{31 - t}}} \right) + t = 12$

$ \Rightarrow 12(52 - t) + t(22 - t)(31 - t) = 12(22 - t)(31 - t)$

$ \Rightarrow 624 - 12t + 682t - 53{t^2} + {t^3} = 8184 - 636t + 12{t^2}$

$ \Rightarrow {t^3} - 65{t^2} + 1306t - 7560 = 0$

t=10 satisfies the above equation.

$ \Rightarrow {t^2}(t - 10) - 55t(t - 10) + 756(t - 10) = 0$

$ \Rightarrow (t - 10)({t^2} - 55t + 756) = 0$

$ \Rightarrow (t - 10)(t - 27)(t - 28) = 0$

t has three possible values: 10, 27, 28.

x and y have already been obtained in terms of t. z can also be found in terms of t in the same fashion.

$ z(1 + 12 - t) = 30$

$ \Rightarrow z = \frac{{30}}{{13 - t}}$

$\left\{ {x,y,z} \right\} \equiv \left\{ {\frac{{12}}{{22 - t}},\frac{{21}}{{31 - t}},\frac{{30}}{{13 - t}}} \right\}$

$ \equiv \left\{ {1,1,10} \right\},\left\{ { - \frac{{12}}{5},\frac{{21}}{4}, - \frac{{15}}{7}} \right\},\left\{ { - 2,7, - 2} \right\}$