Consider the function f(x)=a(∣sinx∣+∣cosx∣)−3sin2x−7, where a is a real parameter.
a) Prove that f(x)=f(2π−x)=f(π+x)=f(23π−x) for every x.
b) Find all pairs (a,n), where n is a positive integer, for which the equation f(x)=0 has 2007 roots in the interval (0,nπ).
Solution
a) We have f(x+π)f(2π−x)f(23π−x)=a(∣sin(x+π)∣+∣cos(x+π)∣)−3sin(2x+2π)−7=a(∣−sinx∣+∣−cosx∣)−3sin(2x)−7=f(x),=a(∣sin(2π−x)∣+∣cos(2π−x)∣)−3sin(π−2x)−7=a(∣cosx∣+∣sinx∣)−3sin(2x)−7=f(x),=a(∣sin(23π−x)∣+∣cos(23π−x)∣)−3sin(3π−2x)−7=a(∣−cosx∣+∣−sinx∣)−3sin(2x)−7=f(x).
b) Direct verification shows that for every integer k we have f(2kπ)=a−7. Moreover f(4π)=a2−10 and f(43π)=a2−4. If a=7, a=52 and a=22, according to a) the equation f(x)=0 has even number of roots in any of the intervals (0,2π)(2π,π) and therefore it has even number of roots in the interval (0,nπ).
1. If a=7 then f(x)=7(∣sinx∣+∣cosx∣)−3sin2x−7 and f(2π)=0.
1.1. Let x∈(0,2π). Then f(x)=7(sinx+cosx)−3sin2x−7. Set y=sinx+cosx. Then y=2sin(x+4π)∈(1,2] (sin2x=y2−1) and the equation f(x)=0 becomes 3y2−7y+4=0. Therefore y1=1 and y2=34. Hence y2=34 and the equation f(x)=0 has 2 roots in (0,2π).
1.2. Let x∈(2π,π). Then f(x)=7(sinx−cosx)−3sin2x−7. Set y=sinx−cosx. Then y=2sin(x+4π)∈(1,2] and f(x)=0 is equivalent to 3y2+7y−10=0. Therefore y1=1 and y2=−310, i.e. f(x)=0 has no solutions in the given interval. Therefore f(x)=0 has 3 roots in the interval (0,π). The total number of roots in the interval (0,nπ) equals 3n+n−1=4n−1 and 4n−1=2007 implies n=502.
2. If a=52 then f(x)=52(∣sinx∣+∣cosx∣)−3sin2x−7.
2.1. Let x∈(0,2π). Then f(x)=52(sinx+cosx)−3sin2x−7 and setting y=sinx+cosx yields that f(x)=0 is equivalent to 3y2−52y+4=0, y∈(1,2]. Therefore y1=2 and y2=322<1, i.e. only x=4π is a solution.
2.2. Let x∈(2π,π). Then f(x)=52(sinx−cosx)−3sin2x−7 and setting y=sinx−cosx yields that f(x)=0 is equivalent to 3y2+52y−10=0, y∈(1,2]. The roots of this equation do not belong to the interval (1,2]. In this case there is 1 root in (0,π) and n roots in (0,nπ). Therefore n=2007.
3. When a=22 analogous observations show that there is a unique root x=43π in the interval (0,π) and n roots in the interval (0,nπ). Again n=2007.
Answer: a=7, n=502; a=52, n=2007; a=22, n=2007.
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