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Algebra Difficulty 3.8 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

A sequence (a1,b1)(a_1,b_1), (a2,b2)(a_2,b_2), (a3,b3)(a_3,b_3), \ldots of points in the coordinate plane satisfies
(an+1,bn+1)=(3anbn,3bn+an)(a_{n + 1}, b_{n + 1}) = (\sqrt {3}a_n - b_n, \sqrt {3}b_n + a_n) for n=1,2,3,n = 1,2,3,\ldots.
Suppose that (a100,b100)=(2,4)(a_{100},b_{100}) = (2,4). What is a1+b1a_1 + b_1?

Pick one

Solution

This sequence can also be expressed using matrix multiplication as follows:
[an+1bn+1]=[3113][anbn]=2[cos30sin30sin30 cos30][anbn]\left[ \begin{array}{c} a_{n+1} \\ b_{n+1} \end{array} \right] = \left[ \begin{array}{cc} \sqrt{3} & -1 \\ 1 & \sqrt{3} \end{array} \right] \left[ \begin{array}{c} a_{n} \\ b_{n} \end{array} \right] = 2 \left[ \begin{array}{cc} \cos 30^\circ & -\sin 30^\circ \\ \sin 30^\circ & \ \cos 30^\circ \end{array} \right] \left[ \begin{array}{c} a_{n} \\ b_{n} \end{array} \right].
Thus, (an+1,bn+1)(a_{n+1} , b_{n+1}) is formed by rotating (an,bn)(a_n , b_n) counter-clockwise about the origin by 3030^\circ and dilating the point's position with respect to the origin by a factor of 22.
So, starting with (a100,b100)(a_{100},b_{100}) and performing the above operations 9999 times in reverse yields (a1,b1)(a_1,b_1).
Rotating (2,4)(2,4) clockwise by 99309099 \cdot 30^\circ \equiv 90^\circ yields (4,2)(4,-2). A dilation by a factor of 1299\frac{1}{2^{99}} yields the point (a1,b1)=(4299,2299)=(1297,1298)(a_1,b_1) = \left(\frac{4}{2^{99}}, -\frac{2}{2^{99}} \right) = \left(\frac{1}{2^{97}}, -\frac{1}{2^{98}} \right).
Therefore, a1+b1=12971298=1298Da_1 + b_1 = \frac{1}{2^{97}} - \frac{1}{2^{98}} = \frac{1}{2^{98}} \Rightarrow D.

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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.