AlgebraDifficulty 6.1National olympiadFind the answer
Jacob starts with some complex number x0 other than 0 or 1. He repeatedly flips a fair coin. If the nth flip lands heads, he lets xn=1−xn−1, and if it lands tails he lets xn=xn−11. Over all possible choices of x0, what are all possible values of the probability that x2012=x0?
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
Let f(x)=1−x,g(x)=x1. Then for any x,f(f(x))=x and g(g(x))=x. Furthermore, f(g(x))=1−x1,g(f(g(x)))=x−1x,f(g(f(g(x))))=1−x1,g(f(g(f(g(x)))))=1−x=f(x), so for all n,xn is one of x,x1,1−x1,x−1x,1−x1,1−x, and we can understand the coin flipping procedure as moving either left or right with equal probability along this cycle of values. For most x, all six of these values are distinct. In this case, suppose that we move right R times and left 2012−R times between x0 and x2012. For x2012=x0, we need to have that R−2012+R≡0(mod6), or R≡1(mod3). The number of possible ways to return to x0 is then a=(12012)+(42012)+⋯+(20112012). Let b=(02012)+(32012)+⋯+(20102012)=(22012)+(52012)+⋯+(20122012). Then we have a+2b=22012 and that b=3(1+1)2012+(1+ω)2012+(1+ω2)2012, where ω is a primitive third root of unity. It can be seen that 1+ω is a primitive sixth root of unity and 1+ω2 is its inverse, so (1+ω)2012=(1+ω)2=ω, and similarly (1+ω2)2012=ω2. Therefore, b=322012−1, so a=22012−2b=322012+2, and our desired probability is then 22012a=3⋅2201222012+2=3⋅2201122011+1. For some x0, however, the cycle of values can become degenerate. It could be the case that two adjacent values are equal. Let y be a value that is equal to an adjacent value. Then y=y1 or y=1−y, which gives y∈{−1,21}. Therefore, this only occurs in the cycle of values −1,2,21,21,2,−1. In this case, note that after 2012 steps we will always end up an even number of steps away from our starting point, and each of the numbers occupies two spaces of opposite parity, so we would need to return to our original location, just as if all six numbers were distinct. Therefore in this case we again have that the probability that x2012=x0 is 3⋅2201122011+1. It is also possible that two numbers two apart on the cycle are equal. For this to be the case, let y be the value such that f(g(y))=y. Then 1−x1=x, or x−1=x2, so x=21±i3. Let ζ=21+i3. Then we get that the cycle of values is ζ,ζˉ,ζ,ζˉ,ζ,ζˉ, and since at the end we are always an even number of spaces away from our starting location, the probability that x2012=x0 is 1. Finally, we need to consider the possibility that two opposite numbers are equal. In this case we have a y such that f(g(f(y)))=y, or x−1x=x, so x=2. In this case we obtain the same cycle of numbers in the case where two adjacent numbers are equal, and so we again obtain the probability 3.2201122011+1. Therefore, the only possibilities are 1,3⋅2201122011+1.
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