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Algebra Difficulty 4.9 AIME Find the answer United States

Problem:
Let r1,r2,,r7r_{1}, r_{2}, \ldots, r_{7} be the distinct complex roots of the polynomial P(x)=x77P(x)=x^{7}-7. Let
K=1i<j7(ri+rj) K=\prod_{1 \leq i<j \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right)
that is, the product of all numbers of the form ri+rjr_{i}+r_{j}, where ii and jj are integers for which 1i<j71 \leq i<j \leq 7. Determine the value of K2K^{2}.

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Solution:
Answer: 117649117649

We first note that x77=(xr1)(xr2)(xr7)x^{7}-7=\left(x-r_{1}\right)\left(x-r_{2}\right) \cdots\left(x-r_{7}\right), which implies, replacing xx by x-x and taking the negative of the equation, that (x+r1)(x+r2)(x+r7)=x7+7\left(x+r_{1}\right)\left(x+r_{2}\right) \cdots\left(x+r_{7}\right)=x^{7}+7. Also note that the product of the rir_{i} is just the constant term, so r1r2r7=7r_{1} r_{2} \cdots r_{7}=7.

Now, we have that
277K2=(i=172ri)K2=i=172ri1i<j7(ri+rj)2=1i=j7(ri+rj)1i<j7(ri+rj)1j<i7(ri+rj)=1i,j7(ri+rj)=i=17j=17(ri+rj). \begin{aligned} 2^{7} \cdot 7 \cdot K^{2} & =\left(\prod_{i=1}^{7} 2 r_{i}\right) K^{2} \\ & =\prod_{i=1}^{7} 2 r_{i} \prod_{1 \leq i<j \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right)^{2} \\ & =\prod_{1 \leq i=j \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) \prod_{1 \leq i<j \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) \prod_{1 \leq j<i \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) \\ & =\prod_{1 \leq i, j \leq 7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) \\ & =\prod_{i=1}^{7} \prod_{j=1}^{7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) . \end{aligned}
However, note that for any fixed ii, j=17(ri+rj)\prod_{j=1}^{7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right) is just the result of substituting x=rix=r_{i} into (x+r1)(x+r2)(x+r7)\left(x+r_{1}\right)(x+r_{2}) \cdots(x+r_{7}). Hence,
j=17(ri+rj)=ri7+7=(ri77)+14=14 \prod_{j=1}^{7}\left(r_{i}+r_{j}\right)=r_{i}^{7}+7=\left(r_{i}^{7}-7\right)+14=14
Therefore, taking the product over all ii gives 14714^{7}, which yields K2=76=117649K^{2}=7^{6}=117649.

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