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Algebra Difficulty 3.8 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

Given functions f(x)=sin(2x+π4)f(x)=\sin({2x+\frac{π}{4}}) and g(x)=sin(2x+3π4)g(x)=\sin({2x+\frac{{3π}}{4}}), if for 0x1<x2t0\leqslant x_{1} \lt x_{2}\leqslant t, it always holds that f(x1)f(x2)<g(x1)g(x2)f(x_{1})-f(x_{2}) \lt g(x_{1})-g(x_{2}), then the maximum value of the positive real number tt is ____.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Given the functions f(x)=sin(2x+π4)f(x)=\sin(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) and g(x)=sin(2x+3π4)g(x)=\sin(2x+\frac{3\pi}{4}), we are asked to find the maximum value of the positive real number tt for which f(x1)f(x2)<g(x1)g(x2)f(x_1) - f(x_2) < g(x_1) - g(x_2) always holds for 0x1<x2t0 \leqslant x_1 < x_2 \leqslant t.

First, we observe that the inequality f(x1)f(x2)<g(x1)g(x2)f(x_1) - f(x_2) < g(x_1) - g(x_2) can be rewritten as:
f(x1)g(x1)<f(x2)g(x2).f(x_1) - g(x_1) < f(x_2) - g(x_2).
This suggests defining a new function h(x)=f(x)g(x)h(x) = f(x) - g(x), which implies that h(x)h(x) is monotonically increasing on the interval [0,t][0, t].

Next, we calculate h(x)h(x):
\begin{align*}
h(x) &= \sin(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) - \sin(2x+\frac{3\pi}{4}) \\
&= \sin(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) - \sin\left(\frac{\pi}{2} + (2x+\frac{\pi}{4})\right) \\
&= \sin(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) - \cos(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) \\
&= \sqrt{2}\left(\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\sin(2x+\frac{\pi}{4}) - \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\cos(2x+\frac{\pi}{4})\right) \\
&= \sqrt{2}\sin(2x).
\end{align*}

The function sin(2x)\sin(2x) is monotonically increasing in the intervals where π2+2kπ2xπ2+2kπ-\frac{\pi}{2} + 2k\pi \leq 2x \leq \frac{\pi}{2} + 2k\pi, for kZk \in \mathbb{Z}. This translates to intervals of xx as π4+kπxπ4+kπ-\frac{\pi}{4} + k\pi \leq x \leq \frac{\pi}{4} + k\pi, for kZk \in \mathbb{Z}.

For k=0k=0, the interval where h(x)h(x) is monotonically increasing is [π4,π4][-\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}]. Beyond this interval, specifically in (π4,3π4)(\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{3\pi}{4}), h(x)h(x) starts to decrease.

Therefore, to ensure h(x)h(x) is monotonically increasing on the interval [0,t][0, t], the maximum value of tt must be π4\frac{\pi}{4}.

Hence, the maximum value of the positive real number tt for which the given condition holds is π4\boxed{\frac{\pi}{4}}.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.