Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /64 of 173

Algebra Difficulty 2.5 Junior Find the answer

For some integers mm and nn, the expression (x+m)(x+n)(x+m)(x+n) is equal to a quadratic expression in xx with a constant term of -12. Which of the following cannot be a value of mm?

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

Solution

Expanding, (x+m)(x+n)=x2+nx+mx+mn=x2+(m+n)x+mn(x+m)(x+n)=x^{2}+n x+m x+m n=x^{2}+(m+n) x+m n. The constant term of this quadratic expression is mnm n, and so mn=12m n=-12. Since mm and nn are integers, they are each divisors of -12 and thus of 12. Of the given possibilities, only 5 is not a divisor of 12, and so mm cannot equal 5.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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