Solutions
Solution 1
One way to solve this problem is by substitution. We have
x2+y2=(x+y)2−2xy=7 and x3+y3=(x+y)(x2−xy+y2)=(7−xy)(x+y)=10
Hence observe that we can write w=x+y and z=xy.
This reduces the equations to w2−2z=7 and w(7−z)=10.
Because we want the largest possible w, let's find an expression for z in terms of w.
w2−7=2z⟹z=2w2−7.
Substituting, w3−21w+20=0, which factorizes as (w−1)(w+5)(w−4)=0 (the Rational Root Theorem may be used here, along with synthetic division).
The largest possible solution is therefore x+y=w=004.
Solution 2
An alternate way to solve this is to let x=a+bi and y=c+di.
Because we are looking for a value of x+y that is real, we know that d=−b, and thus y=c−bi.
Expanding x2+y2=7+0i will give two equations, since the real and imaginary parts must match up.
(a+bi)2+(c−bi)2=7+0i
(a2+c2−2b2)+(2ab−2cb)i=7+0i
Looking at the imaginary part of that equation, 2ab−2cb=0, so a=c, and x and y are actually complex conjugates.
Looking at the real part of the equation and plugging in a=c, 2a2−2b2=7, or 2b2=2a2−7.
Now, evaluating the real part of (a+bi)3+(a−bi)3, which equals 10 (ignoring the odd powers of i, since they would not result in something in the form of 10+0i):
a3+3a(bi)2+a3+3a(−bi)2=10
2a3−6ab2=10
Since we know that 2b2=2a2−7, it can be plugged in for b2 in the above equation to yield:
2a3−3a(2a2−7)=10
−4a3+21a=10
4a3−21a+10=0
Since the problem is looking for x+y=2a to be a positive integer, only positive half-integers (and whole-integers) need to be tested. From the Rational Roots theorem, a=10,a=5,a=25 all fail, but a=2 does work. Thus, the real part of both numbers is 2, and their sum is 004.
Solution 3
Begin by assuming that x and y are roots of some polynomial of the form w2+bw+c, such that by Vieta's Formulas and some algebra (left as an exercise to the reader), b2−2c=7 and 3bc−b3=10. Substituting c=2b2−7, we deduce that b3−21b−20=0, whose roots are −4, −1, and 5. Since −b is the sum of the roots and is maximized when b=−4, the answer is −(−4)=004.
Solution 4
x3+y3=10=(x+y)(x2−xy+y2)=(x+y)(7−xy)⟹xy=7−x+y10. Also, (x+y)3=x3+3x2y+3xy2+y3=10+3xy(x+y). Substituting our above into this, we get 10+3(7−x+y10)(x+y)=21x+21y−20=(x+y)3. Letting p=x+y, we have that p3−21p+20=0. Testing p=1, we find that this is a root, to get (p−1)(p2+p−20)=0⟹p=−5,1,4⟹4