A curve C has equation x3+y3−xy=Ax^3 + y^3 - xy = A where AA is a non-zero constant.

  1. (a)

    Show that any stationary points on C lie on

    y = 3x^2.

  2. (b)

    Find, in terms of A, the x-coordinates of the stationary points, and hence determine the range of values of A for which C has two distinct stationary points.

  3. (c)

    Suppose that C has two stationary points. Determine the nature of each of the stationary points found in part (b).

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Worked solution

4(a)

1. Differentiate the equation implicitly with respect to $x$.

Differentiating both sides of x3+y3−xy=Ax^3 + y^3 - xy = A with respect to xx:
3x2+3y2dydx−(1⋅y+xdydx)=03x^2 + 3y^2 \frac{dy}{dx} - \left(1 \cdot y + x \frac{dy}{dx}\right) = 0

2. Use the condition for stationary points to find the relationship between $x$ and $y$.

At a stationary point, the gradient of the curve is zero, so dydx=0\frac{dy}{dx} = 0. Substituting this into the differentiated equation:
3x2+3y2(0)−(y+x(0))=03x^2 + 3y^2(0) - \left(y + x(0)\right) = 0
3x2−y=03x^2 - y = 0
y=3x2(Shown)y = 3x^2 \quad \text{(Shown)}

Answer

y=3x2y = 3x^2 (Shown)

4(b)

1. Substitute the equation of the locus of stationary points into the curve's equation to form a polynomial in $x$.

Substituting y=3x2y = 3x^2 into x3+y3−xy=Ax^3 + y^3 - xy = A:
x3+(3x2)3−x(3x2)=Ax^3 + (3x^2)^3 - x(3x^2) = A
x3+27x6−3x3=Ax^3 + 27x^6 - 3x^3 = A
27x6−2x3−A=027x^6 - 2x^3 - A = 0

2. Solve the resulting quadratic equation in $x^3$ using the quadratic formula.

Let u=x3u = x^3. The equation is 27u2−2u−A=027u^2 - 2u - A = 0.
Using the quadratic formula:
u=−(−2)±(−2)2−4(27)(−A)2(27)u = \frac{-(-2) \pm \sqrt{(-2)^2 - 4(27)(-A)}}{2(27)}
x3=2±4+108A54x^3 = \frac{2 \pm \sqrt{4 + 108A}}{54}
x3=1±1+27A27x^3 = \frac{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27}

3. Express the $x$-coordinates of the stationary points in terms of $A$.

Taking the cube root of both sides:
x=1±1+27A273x = \sqrt[3]{\frac{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27}}
x=131±1+27A3x = \frac{1}{3} \sqrt[3]{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}

4. Apply the discriminant condition for the quadratic equation in $x^3$ to find the range of $A$ for two distinct stationary points.

For the curve to have two distinct stationary points, the quadratic equation in x3x^3 must have two distinct real roots. Thus, its discriminant must be strictly positive:
(−2)2−4(27)(−A)>0(-2)^2 - 4(27)(-A) > 0
4+108A>04 + 108A > 0
1+27A>0  ⟹  A>−1271 + 27A > 0 \implies A > -\frac{1}{27}
Since the problem states AA is a non-zero constant, A≠0A \neq 0.
The range of values is A>−127,A≠0A > -\frac{1}{27}, A \neq 0.

Answer

x=131±1+27A3x = \frac{1}{3} \sqrt[3]{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}

Range of values: A>−127,A≠0A > -\frac{1}{27}, A \neq 0

4(c)

1. Recalculate the $x$-coordinates of the stationary points (from part (b)) to use in evaluating their nature.

Substitute y=3x2y = 3x^2 into the curve equation x3+y3−xy=Ax^3 + y^3 - xy = A:
x3+(3x2)3−x(3x2)=Ax^3 + (3x^2)^3 - x(3x^2) = A
27(x3)2−2x3−A=027(x^3)^2 - 2x^3 - A = 0
Using the quadratic formula to solve for x3x^3:
x3=2±(−2)2−4(27)(−A)54=1±1+27A27x^3 = \frac{2 \pm \sqrt{(-2)^2 - 4(27)(-A)}}{54} = \frac{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27}
So the xx-coordinates are x=(1±1+27A27)13x = \left( \frac{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right)^{\frac{1}{3}}.

2. Find the second derivative $\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}$ evaluated at the stationary points.

From part (a), we have the first derivative implicitly defined by the equation:
3x2+3y2dydx−y−xdydx=03x^2 + 3y^2 \frac{dy}{dx} - y - x\frac{dy}{dx} = 0
Differentiating this implicitly with respect to xx gives:
6x+6y(dydx)2+3y2d2ydx2−dydx−(dydx+xd2ydx2)=06x + 6y\left(\frac{dy}{dx}\right)^2 + 3y^2 \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} - \frac{dy}{dx} - \left( \frac{dy}{dx} + x\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} \right) = 0
At a stationary point, dydx=0\frac{dy}{dx} = 0. Substituting this in yields:
6x+3y2d2ydx2−xd2ydx2=06x + 3y^2 \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} - x\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = 0
d2ydx2(3y2−x)=−6x  ⟹  d2ydx2=−6x3y2−x\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}(3y^2 - x) = -6x \implies \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{-6x}{3y^2 - x}

3. Express the second derivative entirely in terms of $x$.

Substitute the locus of stationary points, y=3x2y = 3x^2, into the expression for d2ydx2\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}:
d2ydx2=−6x3(3x2)2−x=−6x27x4−x\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{-6x}{3(3x^2)^2 - x} = \frac{-6x}{27x^4 - x}
Factoring out xx (since A≠0A \neq 0, the origin (0,0)(0,0) does not lie on the curve, so x≠0x \neq 0):
d2ydx2=−6xx(27x3−1)=−627x3−1\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{-6x}{x(27x^3 - 1)} = \frac{-6}{27x^3 - 1}

4. Evaluate the sign of $\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}$ for each stationary point to determine its nature.

Using the expressions for x3x^3, we evaluate the denominator 27x3−127x^3 - 1:
27x3−1=27(1±1+27A27)−1=±1+27A27x^3 - 1 = 27\left( \frac{1 \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right) - 1 = \pm \sqrt{1 + 27A}

For the stationary point where x=(1+1+27A27)13x = \left( \frac{1 + \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right)^{\frac{1}{3}}:
d2ydx2=−6+1+27A<0\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{-6}{+\sqrt{1 + 27A}} < 0
Hence, this is a local maximum.

For the stationary point where x=(1−1+27A27)13x = \left( \frac{1 - \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right)^{\frac{1}{3}}:
d2ydx2=−6−1+27A=61+27A>0\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{-6}{-\sqrt{1 + 27A}} = \frac{6}{\sqrt{1 + 27A}} > 0
Hence, this is a local minimum.

Answer

The stationary point where x=(1+1+27A27)13x = \left( \frac{1 + \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right)^{\frac{1}{3}} is a local maximum.
The stationary point where x=(1−1+27A27)13x = \left( \frac{1 - \sqrt{1 + 27A}}{27} \right)^{\frac{1}{3}} is a local minimum.

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