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Algebra Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it Taiwan

Let λ>0\lambda > 0 be a positive real number satisfying λ=λ2/3+1\lambda = \lambda^{2/3} + 1. Show that there exists a positive integer MM such that
Mλ300<4100. |M - \lambda^{300}| < 4^{-100}.

Solution

Let λ=t3/2\lambda = t^{3/2}. Then t3=(t+1)2t^3 = (t+1)^2, and λ300=t450\lambda^{300} = t^{450}. Examining the equation P(x)=x3(x+1)2P(x) = x^3 - (x+1)^2, it has a unique zero at x=tx=t, and since P(2)<0P(2) < 0, we have t>2t > 2. Let a,ba, b be the other two roots of P(x)=0P(x) = 0. Note that ab=1|ab| = 1, and aa is the complex conjugate of bb. Hence
a=b=t1/2<21/2. |a| = |b| = |t|^{-1/2} < 2^{-1/2}.
Now take M=a450+b450+t450M = a^{450} + b^{450} + t^{450}. Since a,b,ta, b, t are the three roots of the monic integer-coefficient cubic equation P(x)=0P(x) = 0 and M>0M > 0, MM is a positive integer. Moreover:
Mλ300=Mt450=a450+b450<22450/2<14100. |M - \lambda^{300}| = |M - t^{450}| = |a^{450} + b^{450}| < 2 \cdot 2^{-450/2} < \frac{1}{4^{100}}.
This completes the proof.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.