Given f(x) = ax² + bx + c
f(1) = 0
⇒ a(1)² + b(1) + c = 0
⇒ a + b + c = 0 ............(1)
f(2) = -2
⇒ a(2²) + b(2) + c =-2
⇒ 4a + 2b + c = -2 ..........(2)
f(3) = -6
⇒ a(3)² + b(3) + c = -6
⇒ 9a + 3b + c = -6 ...........(3)
Δ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 4 & 2 & 1 \\ 9 & 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| =1\left| \begin{matrix} 2 & 1 \\ 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| -1\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 1 \\ 9 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +1\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 2 \\ 9 & 3 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 1 (2 -3) -1 (4-9) +1 (12 - 18)
= - 1 + 5 - 6 = -2 ≠ 0
Δ₁ =\(\left| \begin{matrix} 0 & 1 & 1 \\ -2 & 2 & 1 \\ -6 & 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| =0-1\left| \begin{matrix} -2 & 1 \\ -6 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +1\left| \begin{matrix} -2 & 2 \\ -6 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| \)
=-1 (-2 + 6) +1(-6 + 12) = -1 (4) +1 (6) = 2
Δ₂ =\(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 0 & 1 \\ 4 & -2 & 1 \\ 9 & -6 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| =1\left| \begin{matrix} -2 & 1 \\ -6 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +0+1\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & -2 \\ 9 & -6 \end{matrix} \right| \)
-1 (-2 + 6) + 1(-24 + 18) = 4 - 6 = -2
Δ₃ =\(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 1 & 0 \\ 4 & 2 & -2 \\ 9 & 3 & -6 \end{matrix} \right| =1\left| \begin{matrix} 2 & -2 \\ 3 & -6 \end{matrix} \right| -1\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & -2 \\ 9 & -6 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 1 (-12 + 6) -1 (-24 + 18) = -6 + 6 = 0
a = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 1 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 2 }{ -2 } \) = -1
b = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 2 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { -2 }{ -2 } \) = 1
c = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 3 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 0 }{ -2 } \)
∴ f(x) = (-1)x² + 1x + 0
⇒ f(x) = x² + x.

Put \(\frac { 1 }{ x } \) = a, \(\frac { 1 }{ y } \) = b, \(\frac { 1 }{ z } \) = c
∴ 2a + 3b + 10c = 4  ....(1)
4a- 6b - 5c = 1 .....(2)
6a + 9b -20c = 2 ...(3)
Δ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 2 & 3 & 10 \\ 4 & -6 & 5 \\ 6 & 9 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= \(2\left| \begin{matrix} -6 & 5 \\ 9 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| -3\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 5 \\ 6 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| +10\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & -6 \\ 6 & 9 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 2 (120 - 45) -3 (-80 - 30) + 10 (36 + 36)
= 150 + 330 + 720 = 1200
Δ₁ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 3 & 10 \\ 1 & -6 & 5 \\ 2 & 9 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= \(4\left| \begin{matrix} -6 & 5 \\ 9 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| -3\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 5 \\ 2 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| +10\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & -6 \\ 2 & 9 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 4 (120 - 45) -3 (-20 - 10) + 10 (9 + 12)
= 300 + 90 + 120 = 600
Δ₂ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 2 & 4 & 10 \\ 4 & 1 & 5 \\ 6 & 2 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| =2\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 5 \\ 2 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| -4\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 5 \\ 6 & -20 \end{matrix} \right| +10\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 1 \\ 6 & 2 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 2 (-2 - 10) - 4 (-80 - 30) + 10 (8 - 6)
= -60 + 440 + 20 = 400
Δ₃ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 4 & -6 & 1 \\ 6 & 9 & 2 \end{matrix} \right| 2\left| \begin{matrix} -6 & 1 \\ 9 & 2 \end{matrix} \right| -3\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & 1 \\ 6 & 2 \end{matrix} \right| +10\left| \begin{matrix} 4 & -6 \\ 6 & 9 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= 2 (-12 - 9) -3 (8 - 6) + 4 (36 + 36)
= - 42 - 6 + 288 = 240
∴ a = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 1 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 600 }{ 1200 } =\frac { 1 }{ 2 } \Rightarrow \frac { 1 }{ x } =\frac { 1 }{ 2 } \) ⇒ x = 2
∴ b = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 2 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 400 }{ 1200 } =\frac { 1 }{ 3 } \Rightarrow \frac { 1 }{ y } =\frac { 1 }{ 3 } \) ⇒ y = 1 
∴ c = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 3 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 240 }{ 1200 } =\frac { 1 }{ 5 } \Rightarrow \frac { 1 }{ z } =\frac { 1 }{ 5 } \) ⇒ z = 5
∴ Solution set is {2, 3, 5}

Let the required numbers be x, y and z
By the given data,
x + y + z = 20  ....(1)
2z + x = 23 ⇒ x + 2z = 23...(2)
y + z + 3x = 46 ⇒  3x + y + z = 46..(3)
Δ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 0 & 2 \\ 3 & 1 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| =1\left| \begin{matrix} 0 & 2 \\ 0 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| -1\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 2 \\ 1 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +1\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 0 \\ 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= -2 + 5 + 1 =4
Δ₁ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 20 & 1 & 1 \\ 23 & 0 & 2 \\ 46 & 1 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| =20\left| \begin{matrix} 0 & 2 \\ 1 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| -1\left| \begin{matrix} 23 & 2 \\ 46 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +1\left| \begin{matrix} 23 & 0 \\ 46 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= -40 + 69 + 23 = 52
Δ₂ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 20 & 1 \\ 1 & 23 & 2 \\ 3 & 46 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= \(1\left| \begin{matrix} 23 & 2 \\ 46 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| -20\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 2 \\ 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| +1\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 23 \\ 3 & 46 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= -69 + 100 - 23 = 8
Δ₃ = \(\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 1 & 20 \\ 1 & 2 & 23 \\ 3 & 1 & 46 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= \(1\left| \begin{matrix} 0 & 23 \\ 1 & 46 \end{matrix} \right| -1\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 23 \\ 3 & 46 \end{matrix} \right| +20\left| \begin{matrix} 1 & 0 \\ 3 & 1 \end{matrix} \right| \)
= -23 + 23 + 20 = 20
∴ x = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 1 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 52 }{ 4 } \) = 13
y = \(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 2 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 8 }{ 4 } \) = 2 and z =\(\frac { { \triangle }_{ 3 } }{ \triangle } =\frac { 20 }{ 4 } \) = 5
Hence the required numbers are 13, 2 and 5.

Augmented matrix [A|B] is \(\left[ \begin{matrix} -2 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & -2 & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & -2 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} a \\ b \\ c \end{matrix} \right] \)
[A|B]\(\overset { { R }_{ 1 }\leftrightarrow { R }_{ 2 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -2 & 1 \\ -2 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & -2 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} b \\ a \\ c \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 2 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 2 }+2{ R }_{ 1 }\\ { R }_{ 3 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 3 }+{ R }_{ 1 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -2 & 1 \\ 0 & -3 & 3 \\ 0 & 3 & -3 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} b \\ a+2b \\ c-b \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 3 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 3 }+{ R }_{ 2 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -2 & 1 \\ 0 & -3 & 3 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} b \\ c+2b \\ a+b+c \end{matrix} \right] \)
Here \(\rho\) (A) = 2
The given system is consistent only when \(\rho\)([A|B]) = 2\(\rho\)([A|B]) = 2 only if a + b + c = 0 Hence proved.

The augmented matrix [A|B] is \(\left[ \begin{matrix} 2 & -3 & 5 \\ 3 & 1 & \lambda \\ 1 & -7 & 8 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 12 \\ \mu \\ 17 \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 1 }\leftrightarrow { R }_{ 3 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -7 & 8 \\ 3 & 1 & \lambda \\ 2 & -3 & 5 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 17 \\ \mu \\ 12 \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 2 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 2 }-{ R }_{ 1 }\\ { R }_{ 3 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 3 }-2R_{ 1 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -7 & 8 \\ 0 & 22 & \lambda -51 \\ 0 & 11 & -11 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 17 \\ \mu -51 \\ -22 \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 2 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 2 }-2{ R }_{ 3 }\\ { R }_{ 3 }\rightarrow { R }_{ 3 }\div 11 }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -7 & 8 \\ 0 & 0 & \lambda -2 \\ 0 & 1 & -1 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 17 \\ \mu -7 \\ -2 \end{matrix} \right] \)
\(\overset { { R }_{ 2 }\leftrightarrow { R }_{ 3 } }{ \longrightarrow } \left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -7 & 8 \\ 0 & 1 & -1 \\ 0 & 0 & \lambda -2 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 17 \\ -2 \\ \mu -7 \end{matrix} \right] \)
Case (i) : when λ ≠ 2,
\(\rho\) ([A|B]) = 3 and \(\rho\)(A) = 3
∴ \(\rho\)([AIB])= \(\rho\)(A) = 3 = the number of unknowns
∴ The system has unique solution
Case (ii) : when λ = 2, μ =7
\(\left[ \begin{matrix} 1 & -7 & 8 \\ 0 & 1 & -1 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 \end{matrix}|\begin{matrix} 17 \\ -2 \\ 0 \end{matrix} \right] \)
Here \(\rho\)(A) = 2 and \(\rho\)([A|B]) = 2
∴ \(\rho\)(A) = \(\rho\)([A|B]) = 2 < number of unknowns
Thus the system is consistent with infinitely many solutions.
Case (iii) : When λ= 2 and μ ≠ 7
\(\rho\) (A) = 2 and \(\rho\) ([A|B]) = 3
∴ \(\rho\) (A) ≠ \(\rho\) ([A|B])
Thus, the given system of equations is inconsistent.