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Algebra Difficulty 3.1 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

Sylvia chose positive integers a,ba, b and cc. Peter determined the value of a+bca + \frac{b}{c} and got an answer of 101. Paul determined the value of ac+b\frac{a}{c} + b and got an answer of 68. Mary determined the value of a+bc\frac{a + b}{c} and got an answer of kk. What is the value of kk?

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

Solution

Since aa is a positive integer and a+bca + \frac{b}{c} is a positive integer, then bc\frac{b}{c} is a positive integer. In other words, bb is a multiple of cc. Similarly, since ac+b\frac{a}{c} + b is a positive integer and bb is a positive integer, then aa is a multiple of cc. Thus, we can write a=Aca = Ac and b=Bcb = Bc for some positive integers AA and BB. Therefore, a+bc=101a + \frac{b}{c} = 101 becomes Ac+B=101Ac + B = 101 and ac+b=68\frac{a}{c} + b = 68 becomes A+Bc=68A + Bc = 68. Adding these new equations gives Ac+B+A+Bc=101+68Ac + B + A + Bc = 101 + 68 or A(c+1)+B(c+1)=169A(c + 1) + B(c + 1) = 169 and so (A+B)(c+1)=169(A + B)(c + 1) = 169. Since (A+B)(c+1)=169(A + B)(c + 1) = 169, then c+1c + 1 is a divisor of 169. Since 169=132169 = 13^{2}, then the positive divisors of 169 are 1,13,1691, 13, 169. Since A,B,cA, B, c are positive integers, then A+B2A + B \geq 2 and c+12c + 1 \geq 2. Since neither A+BA + B nor c+1c + 1 can equal 1, then A+B=c+1=13A + B = c + 1 = 13. Finally, a+bc=Ac+Bcc=A+B=13\frac{a + b}{c} = \frac{Ac + Bc}{c} = A + B = 13 and so k=13k = 13.

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