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Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it China

Suppose f(x)=lg(x+1)f(x) = |\lg(x+1)| and real numbers a,ba, b (a<ba < b) satisfy f(a)=f(b+1b+2)f(a) = f\left(-\frac{b+1}{b+2}\right), f(10a+6b+21)=4lg2f(10a + 6b + 21) = 4\lg 2. Find the values of a,ba, b.

Solution

lg(a+1)=lg(b+1b+2+1)=lg(1b+2)=lg(b+2).|\lg(a+1)| = |\lg\left(-\frac{b+1}{b+2}+1\right)| = |\lg\left(\frac{1}{b+2}\right)| = |\lg(b+2)|.
Then either a+1=b+2a+1 = b+2 or (a+1)(b+2)=1(a+1)(b+2) = 1. Since a<ba < b, so a+1b+2a+1 \neq b+2. Therefore, (a+1)(b+2)=1(a+1)(b+2) = 1.
From f(a)=lg(a+1)f(a) = |\lg(a+1)| we know 0<a+1<10 < a+1 < 1. Then
0<a+1<b+1<b+2, 0 < a + 1 < b + 1 < b + 2,
which implies
0<a+1<1<b+2. 0 < a + 1 < 1 < b + 2.
Therefore,
(10a+6b+21)+1=10(a+1)+6(b+2)=6(b+2)+10b+2>1. (10a + 6b + 21) + 1 = 10(a + 1) + 6(b + 2) \\ = 6(b + 2) + \frac{10}{b + 2} > 1.
Then
f(10a+6b+21)=lg[6(b+2)+10b+2]=lg[6(b+2)+10b+2]. f(10a + 6b + 21) = \left| \lg \left[ 6(b + 2) + \frac{10}{b+2} \right] \right| \\ = \lg \left[ 6(b + 2) + \frac{10}{b+2} \right].
On the other hand,
f(10a+6b+21)=4lg2. f(10a + 6b + 21) = 4\lg 2.
So
lg[6(b+2)+10b+2]=4lg2, \lg\left[6(b+2) + \frac{10}{b+2}\right] = 4\lg 2,
which means 6(b+2)+10b+2=166(b+2) + \frac{10}{b+2} = 16. Then either b=13b = -\frac{1}{3} or b=25b = -\frac{2}{5} (discarded).
Substituting b=13b = -\frac{1}{3} into (a+1)(b+2)=1(a+1)(b+2) = 1, we find a=25a = -\frac{2}{5}.
Therefore a=25a = -\frac{2}{5}, b=13b = -\frac{1}{3}.
\square

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