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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Slovenia

Find all real xx in [0,2π)[0, 2\pi) for which all terms of the sequence
an=1cos(nx) a_n = \frac{1}{\cos(nx)}
are integers.

Solution

The numbers a1a_1 and a2a_2 are integers. Since a1=1cosxa_1 = \frac{1}{\cos x}, a2=1cos(2x)a_2 = \frac{1}{\cos(2x)} and cos(2x)=2(cosx)21\cos(2x) = 2(\cos x)^2 - 1, we have a2=12cos2x1=a122a12a_2 = \frac{1}{2\cos^2 x - 1} = \frac{a_1^2}{2 - a_1^2}. Now, a2a_2 is an integer, so 2a122 - a_1^2 is a divisor of a12a_1^2. So, 2a122 - a_1^2 divides 2a122 - a_1^2 and a12a_1^2. It therefore also divides their sum, which is equal to 2. We conclude that 2a122 - a_1^2 is one of the numbers 2,1,1-2, -1, 1 or 22.
In the first case we have a12=4a_1^2 = 4, in the second case we have a12=3a_1^2 = 3, in the third case we get a12=1a_1^2 = 1 and in the fourth case we get a12=0a_1^2 = 0. Since a1a_1 is a non-zero integer, we can only have a1=2a_1 = -2, a1=2a_1 = 2, a1=1a_1 = -1 or a1=1a_1 = 1. From here it follows that xx can only be equal to 0,π3,2π3,π,4π30, \frac{\pi}{3}, \frac{2\pi}{3}, \pi, \frac{4\pi}{3} or 5π3\frac{5\pi}{3}.
If x=0x = 0, then an=1a_n = 1 for all nn. If x=πx = \pi, we get the sequence 1,1,1,1,-1, 1, -1, 1, \dots. In the remaining four cases we have an+6=ana_{n+6} = a_n, since for all integers aa we have
cos((n+6)aπ3)=cos(naπ3+2aπ)=cos(naπ3). \cos\left(\frac{(n+6) \cdot a\pi}{3}\right) = \cos\left(\frac{n \cdot a\pi}{3} + 2a\pi\right) = \cos\left(\frac{n \cdot a\pi}{3}\right).
It therefore suffices to check that the first six terms of the sequence are integers. When x=π3x = \frac{\pi}{3} and 5π3\frac{5\pi}{3} we have a1=2a_1 = 2, a2=2a_2 = -2, a3=1a_3 = -1, a4=2a_4 = -2, a5=2a_5 = 2, a6=1a_6 = 1. If x=2π3x = \frac{2\pi}{3} or x=4π3x = \frac{4\pi}{3}, then the first six terms are 2,2,1,2,2,1-2, -2, 1, -2, -2, 1.
The solutions are 0,π3,2π3,π,4π30, \frac{\pi}{3}, \frac{2\pi}{3}, \pi, \frac{4\pi}{3} and 5π3\frac{5\pi}{3}.

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