Solution — click to reveal
By Vieta's formulas, a+b+cab+ac+bcabc=6,=3,=−1.Let p=a2b+b2c+c2a and q=ab2+bc2+ca2. Then p+q=a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2.Note that (a+b+c)(ab+ac+bc)=a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2+3abc,so a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2=(a+b+c)(ab+ac+bc)−3abc=(6)(3)−3(−1)=21.Also, pq=a3b3+a3c3+b3c3+a4bc+ab4c+abc4+3a2b2c2.To obtain the terms a3b3+a3c3+b3c3, we can cube ab+ac+bc: (ab+ac+bc)3=a3b3+a3c3+b3c3+3(a3b2c+a3bc2+a2b3c+a2bc3+ab3c2+ab2c3)+6a2b2c2.Now, a3b2c+a3bc2+a2b3c+a2bc3+ab3c2+ab2c3=abc(a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2)=(−1)(21)=−21,so a3b3+a3c3+b3c3=(ab+ac+bc)3−3(−21)−6a2b2c2=33−3(−21)−6(−1)2=84.Also, a4bc+ab4c+abc4=abc(a3+b3+c3).To obtain the terms a3+b3+c3, we can cube a+b+c: (a+b+c)3=a3+b3+c3+3(a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2)+6abc,so a3+b3+c3=(a+b+c)3−3(a2b+ab2+a2c+ac2+b2c+bc2)−6abc=63−3(21)−6(−1)=159.Hence, pq=a3b3+a3c3+b3c3+a4bc+ab4c+abc4+3a2b2c2=84+(−1)(159)+3(−1)2=−72.Then by Vieta's formulas, p and q are the roots of x2−21x−72=(x−24)(x+3)=0.Thus, the possible values of p (and q) are 24,−3.