A first introduction to symmetrical algebraic expressions

Background information:
In mathematics competitions at all level, from secondary school to International
Mathematical Olympiad(IMO), problems related to symmetrical properties are a common
place. This is a first attempt to introduce this topic to lower secondary students who are keen
to take part in any of these competitions. So, lets enjoy.

What is a symmetrical expression?

The degree of an expression is a concept similar to that of a polynomial.
For these variables, x, y, z , these are degree 1 expressions: 3x, 2y, x + y + z.
These are degree 2 expressions: 4x2, x2 + y2, ( x + y )2 , xy, xz, yz.
These are degree 3 expressions: x3, x3 + z3, ( x + y )3 , xyz, x2z, yx2+yz2+zx2.

This is a degee 1 symmetrical expression: x + y + z. What it means is that if x is exchanged with

either y or z, the expression remains the same. xy + yz + zx is a degree 2 symmetrical
expression. xyz is a degree 3 symmetrical expression.
So, x2 + 2xy + y2 is a degree 2 symmetrical expression of variable x, y.

Give that a, b, c are constants; x, y, z are variables,

ax, by, cz are similar terms; axy, byz, czx are similar terms; ax2y, by2z, cz2x are similar terms.
ax + ay, degree 1 symmetrical expression of x, y variables.
ax2 + bxy + ay2, degree 2 symmetrical expression of x, y variables.
ax3 + bx2y + bxy2 + ay3, degree 3 symmetrical expression of x, y variables.

Golden property of symmetrical expressions:

For two symmetrical expressions, the operations of sum, difference, product, and division, yield
a symmetrical expression.

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Lets begins with a few worked examples:

Example 1:
Expand x y .
5

x y is a degree 1 symmetrical expression of variable

x, y.

x y 5 x y x y x y x y x y the product is still a symmetrical expression.

x y 5

is a degree 5 symmetrical expression of variable x , y .

Degree 5 variables, x 5 y 5 , x 4 y y 4 x , x3 y 2 y 3 x 2
Let

x y 5 ax5 y5 bx4 y y 4 x cx3 y 2 y3 x 2 , where a, b, c are constants.

Equating x 5 term, a 1
When x 1 , y 1 , 2 2 2b 2c 15 b c
5

When x 2 , y 1 , 1 31 14b 4c 15 7b 2c
5

Solve the two equations,

b 5 , c 10

x y 5 x5 y 5 5x 4 y 5 y 4 x 10 x3 y 2 10 y 3 x 2
We can use Binomial Theorem to show that,

x y 5 x5 5x 4 y 10 x3 y 2 10x 2 y 3 5xy 4 y 5

Example 2:
Expand x y z .
3

x y z 3 is a degree 3 symmetrical expression of variable

x, y, z.

Degree 3 variables, x3 y 3 z 3 , x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x x 2 z y 2 x z 2 y , xyz . It may take

awhile for a learner to list these variables correctly.

Let x y z a x3 y 3 z 3 b x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x x 2 z y 2 x z 2 y cxyz , where a, b,

c are constants.
3

Equating x 3 term, a 1
When x 1 , y 1 , z 0 , 2 2 2b b 3
3

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When x 1 , y 1 , z 1 , 1 1 2b c c 6
3

x y z 3 x3 y 3 z 3 3x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x x 2 z y 2 x z 2 y 6xyz

Example 3:

y z z x x y xyz .

Simplify

x yz

y z z xx y is a degree 3 symmetrical expression of variable

x, y, z.

xyz is a degree 3 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

y z z xx y xyz

is also a degree 3 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

x y z is a degree 1 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

When x y z , y z z x x y xyz 0 . x y z is a factor of the expression.

y z z x x y xyz
x yz

is a degree 2 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

Degree 2 variables, x 2 y 2 z 2 , xy yz zx .

Let

y z z x x y xyz ax 2 y 2 z 2 bxy yz zx, where a, b

x yz

When x 1 , y 1 , z 0 ,

2
2a b 1 2a b ---------- (1)
2

When x 1 , y 1 , z 1 ,

9
3a 3b 1 a b ---------- (2)
3

are constants.

Solving (1) and (2) simultaneously, we get a 0 , b 1

y z z x x y xyz xy yz zx
x yz

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Example 4:

xy yz zx2 x 2 y 2 y 2 z 2 z 2 x 2 .

Simplify

xyz

xy yz zx2

x y
2

is a degree 4 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

y 2 z 2 z 2 x 2 is also a degree 4 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

xyz is a degree 3 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

x y z is a degree 1 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

When x 0 , xy yz zx x 2 y 2 y 2 z 2 z 2 x 2 0 . So, by symmetry, xyz is a factor of

2

the expression.

y z z x x y xyz
x yz

Let

is a degree 1 symmetrical expression of variable x , y , z .

xy yz zx2 x 2 y 2 y 2 z 2 z 2 x 2 ax y z
xyz

When x 1 , y 1 , z 1 ,

where a is a constant.

6
3a a 2
1

xy yz zx2 x 2 y 2 y 2 z 2 z 2 x 2 2x y z
xyz

Example 5:
Factorise x y x5 y 5 .
5

When x y , y y y y 5 0 . So, x y is a factor of this expression.

5

When x 0 , y y 5 0 . So, x is a factor of this expression. Since this is a symmetrical

5

expression, y is also factor of the expression.

Let x y x5 y 5 xy x y p x 2 y 2 qxy where p, q are constants.

5

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When x 1 , y 1 , 25 1 1 122 p q 2 p q 15 ---------- (3)

When x 2 , y 1 , 1 25 1 215 p 2q 5 p 2q 15 ---------- (4)
Solving (3) and (4), we get p 5 , q 5 .

x y 5 x5 y 5 5xyx y x 2 y 2 xy

Example 6:
Factorise x3 y 3 z 3 3xyz .
After some trials and errors, we can find that x y z is a factor of this expression.

Let x3 y 3 z 3 3xyz x y z p x 2 y 2 z 2 qxy yz zx where p, q are constants.

When x 1 , y 0 , z 0 , 1 1 p p 1
When x 1 , y 1 , z 0 , 2 22 q q 1

x3 y 3 z 3 3xyz x y z x 2 y 2 z 2 xy yz zx

It remains a challenge in factorising an algebraic expression. Guessing a correct factor of an

expression is still very much dependent on the past experience.

What is a rotational symmetrical expression?

The expression x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x is not symmetrical. If x is exchanged with y, the expression

becomes y 2 x x 2 z z 2 y that is not the same as the original expression. However, if x is

changed with y, y is exchanged with z and z is exchanged with x, then, the expression remains
the same. x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x is called a rotational symmetrical expression.

Some of these rotational symmetrical expressions:

x y 3 y z 3 z x3 , x y z y z xz x y , x 2 y y 2z z 2ww 2u .
Golden property of rotational symmetrical expressions:
For two rotational symmetrical expressions, the operations of sum, difference, product, and
division, yield another rotational symmetrical expression.

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For a degree 3 and above variable of x , y , z , there is a different treatment between a nonrotational and rotational symmetry.
For a non-rotational symmetry, we write,

a x3 y 3 z 3 b x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x x 2 z y 2 x z 2 y cxyz
As for a rotational symmetry, it is modified,

a x3 y 3 z 3 b x 2 y y 2 z z 2 x c x 2 z y 2 x z 2 y dxyz .
Each group is rotationally the same. Of course, a rotational symmetry group is also a subgroup in the symmetry group.
Lets study a few examples:

Example 7:
Expand b c c a a b .

b cc aa b is a degree 3 rotational symmetrical expression of variable

Let

a, b, c.

b cc aa b pa3 b3 c3 qa 2b b2c c 2a r a 2c b2a c2b sabc ,

where p, q, r, s are constants.

Since b c c a a b does not have a 3 term, p 0 .
When a 1 , b 1 , c 0 , 0 q r q r ---------- (5)
When a 1 , b 1 , c 0 , 2 q r ---------- (6)
Solving (5) and (6), we get r 1 , q 1.
When a 1 , b 1 , c 1 , 0 3q 3r s s 0

b cc aa b a 2c b2a c 2b a 2b b2c c 2a

Example 8:
Simplify

a b3 b c 3 c a 3 .
a bb c c a

a b3 b c3 c a 3 is a degree 3 rotational symmetrical expression of variable

c.
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a, b,

a bb cc a is a degree 3 rotational symmetrical expression of variable

a, b, c.

When a b , a b b c c a 0 . a b is a factor of the expression. By

3

rotational symmetry, b c c a are also factors of the expression.

When

a b3 b c 3 c a 3 , we get a degree 0 expression, which is a constant.

a bb c c a

Let

a b3 b c 3 c a 3 k , where k a constant.
a bb c c a

When a 2 , b 1 , c 0 , k

6
k 3
2

a b3 b c 3 c a 3
a bb c c a

Example 9:
Factorise a b b c c a .
5

When a b , a b b c c a 0 . So, a b is a factor of this expression. Since

5

this is a rotational symmetrical expression, b c and c a are also factor of the expression.
Let a b b c c a a bb c c a f a, b, c where f a, b, c is a degree 2
5

rotational symmetrical expression.

f a, b, c p a 2 b2 c 2 qab bc ca , the degree 2 rotational symmetry is the same as

the symmetry ones.
When a 1 , b 1 , c 0 , 25 1 1 2 1 12 p q 2 p q 15 ---------- (7)
When a 2 , b 1 , c 1 , 210 3 2 16 p q 6 p q 35 --------- (8)
Solving (7) and (8), we get p 5 , q 5 .

a b5 b c5 c a5 5a bb cc aa 2 b2 c 2 ab bc ca

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The next few examples will mainly deal with fractional expressions.

Example 10:

x3
y3
z3
Simplify
.

x y x z y z y x z x z y
The given fraction is a rotational symmetry. After some rearrangement, we get

x3
y3
z3

x y x z y z y x z x z y
x3
y3
z3

x y z x x y y z y z z x

x 3 y z y 3 z x z 3 x y
x y y z z x

When x y , y 3 y z y 3 z y 0 , therefore x y , y z , z x are factors of the

numerator.
Let x3 y z y 3 z x z 3 x y px y y z z x x y z
When x 2 , y 1 , z 0 , 2 2 p11 23 p 1
3

x3 y z y 3 z x z 3 x y x y y z z x x y z

x3
y3
z3

x yz
x y x z y z y x z x z y

Example 11:
Given that x

x
y
z
a
b
c

1.
, y
,z
, prove that
1 x 1 y 1 z
bc
ca
ab

When each given fraction is changed from x to y to z, the others are changed from a to b to c.
The given fractions are rotational symmetries.

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a
x
a
bc
1 x 1 a
abc
bc
By rotational symmetry, we get
a
b
c
abc

1
abc bca cab abc

In conclusion:
In this article, I have introduced the basic properties of symmetrical expressions in relation to
expansion, simplification, and factorization, through the examples. Needless to say, one of
the most importance as well as challenge is in factorization. Guess and check, with the
demonstrated approaches, are served as leads in each factorisation. As symmetry has a
particularly important place in competition mathematics, I will most likely be revisiting this
topic again soon.

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