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Miscellaneous Exercise 4(A) · Q63

Q.If ∣a111b111c∣=0\begin{vmatrix} a & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & b & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & c \end{vmatrix} = 0 then show that 11−a+11−b+11−c=1\dfrac{1}{1-a}+\dfrac{1}{1-b}+\dfrac{1}{1-c}=1

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Expand ∣a111b111c∣=a(bc−1)−1(c−1)+1(1−b)=abc−a−c+1+1−b=abc−a−b−c+2\begin{vmatrix}a&1&1\\1&b&1\\1&1&c\end{vmatrix}=a(bc-1)-1(c-1)+1(1-b)=abc-a-c+1+1-b=abc-a-b-c+2.

Setting this to 0 gives abc=a+b+c−2abc=a+b+c-2, i.e. 2−(a+b+c)+abc=02-(a+b+c)+abc=0. (*)

Now 11−a+11−b+11−c=(1−b)(1−c)+(1−a)(1−c)+(1−a)(1−b)(1−a)(1−b)(1−c)\dfrac{1}{1-a}+\dfrac{1}{1-b}+\dfrac{1}{1-c}=\dfrac{(1-b)(1-c)+(1-a)(1-c)+(1-a)(1-b)}{(1-a)(1-b)(1-c)}.

The numerator expands to 3−2(a+b+c)+(ab+bc+ca)3-2(a+b+c)+(ab+bc+ca), and the denominator expands to 1−(a+b+c)+(ab+bc+ca)−abc1-(a+b+c)+(ab+bc+ca)-abc. …

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