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Algebra Difficulty 3.1 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

Alex chose positive integers a,b,c,d,e,fa, b, c, d, e, f and completely multiplied out the polynomial product (1x)a(1+x)b(1x+x2)c(1+x2)d(1+x+x2)e(1+x+x2+x3+x4)f(1-x)^{a}(1+x)^{b}\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1+x+x^{2}\right)^{e}\left(1+x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}\right)^{f}. After she simplified her result, she discarded any term involving xx to any power larger than 6 and was astonished to see that what was left was 12x1-2 x. If a>d+e+fa>d+e+f and b>c+db>c+d and e>ce>c, what value of aa did she choose?

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

Solution

Define f(x)=(1x)a(1+x)b(1x+x2)c(1+x2)d(1+x+x2)e(1+x+x2+x3+x4)ff(x)=(1-x)^{a}(1+x)^{b}\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1+x+x^{2}\right)^{e}\left(1+x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}\right)^{f}. We note several algebraic identities, each of which can be checked by expanding and simplifying: 1x5=(1x)(1+x+x2+x3+x4)1-x^{5}=(1-x)\left(1+x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}\right), 1x3=(1x)(1+x+x2)1-x^{3}=(1-x)\left(1+x+x^{2}\right), 1x4=(1x2)(1+x2)=(1x)(1+x)(1+x2)1-x^{4}=\left(1-x^{2}\right)\left(1+x^{2}\right)=(1-x)(1+x)\left(1+x^{2}\right), 1+x3=(1+x)(1x+x2)1+x^{3}=(1+x)\left(1-x+x^{2}\right), 1x6=(1x3)(1+x3)=(1x)(1+x)(1x+x2)(1+x+x2)1-x^{6}=\left(1-x^{3}\right)\left(1+x^{3}\right)=(1-x)(1+x)\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)\left(1+x+x^{2}\right). This allows us to regroup the terms successively in the given expansion to create the simpler left sides in the equation above: (1x)a(1+x)b(1x+x2)c(1+x2)d(1+x+x2)e(1x)e(1+x+x2+x3+x4)f(1x)f=(1x)aef(1+x)b(1x+x2)c(1+x2)d(1x3)e(1x5)f=(1x)aef(1+x)bc(1x+x2)c(1+x)c(1+x2)d(1x3)e(1x5)f=(1x)aef(1+x)bc(1+x3)c(1+x2)d(1x3)ec(1x5)f=(1x)aef(1+x)bc(1x6)c(1+x2)d(1x3)ec(1x5)f=(1x)aefd(1+x)bcd(1x6)c(1x4)d(1x3)ec(1x5)f=(1x)adef(1+x)bcd(1x3)ec(1x4)d(1x5)f(1x6)c(1-x)^{a}(1+x)^{b}\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1+x+x^{2}\right)^{e}(1-x)^{e}\left(1+x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}\right)^{f}(1-x)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-e-f}(1+x)^{b}\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-e-f}(1+x)^{b-c}\left(1-x+x^{2}\right)^{c}(1+x)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-e-f}(1+x)^{b-c}\left(1+x^{3}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e-c}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-e-f}(1+x)^{b-c}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{c}\left(1+x^{2}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e-c}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-e-f-d}(1+x)^{b-c-d}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{c}\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e-c}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}=(1-x)^{a-d-e-f}(1+x)^{b-c-d}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{e-c}\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{d}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{f}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{c}. Since a>d+e+fa>d+e+f and e>ce>c and b>c+db>c+d, then the exponents adefa-d-e-f and bcdb-c-d and ece-c are positive integers. Define A=adef,B=bcd,C=ec,D=d,E=fA=a-d-e-f, B=b-c-d, C=e-c, D=d, E=f, and F=cF=c. We want the expansion of f(x)=(1x)A(1+x)B(1x3)C(1x4)D(1x5)E(1x6)Ff(x)=(1-x)^{A}(1+x)^{B}\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{C}\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F} to have only terms 12x1-2 x when all terms involving x7x^{7} or larger are removed. We use the facts that (1+y)n=1+ny+n(n1)2y2+(1+y)^{n}=1+n y+\frac{n(n-1)}{2} y^{2}+\cdots and (1y)n=1ny+n(n1)2y2+(1-y)^{n}=1-n y+\frac{n(n-1)}{2} y^{2}+\cdots which can be derived by multiplying out directly or by using the Binomial Theorem. Since each factor contains a constant term of 1, then f(x)f(x) will have a constant term of 1, regardless of the values of A,B,C,D,E,FA, B, C, D, E, F. Consider the first two factors. Only these factors can affect the coefficients of xx and x2x^{2} in the final product. Any terms involving xx and x2x^{2} in the final product will come from these factors multiplied by the constant 1 from each of the other factors. We consider the product of the first two factors ignoring any terms of degree three or higher: (1x)A(1+x)B=(1Ax+A(A1)2x2)(1+Bx+B(B1)2x2+)=1Ax+A(A1)2x2+BxABx2+B(B1)2x2+=1(AB)x+[A(A1)2+B(B1)2AB]x2+(1-x)^{A}(1+x)^{B}=\left(1-A x+\frac{A(A-1)}{2} x^{2}-\cdots\right)\left(1+B x+\frac{B(B-1)}{2} x^{2}+\cdots\right)=1-A x+\frac{A(A-1)}{2} x^{2}+B x-A B x^{2}+\frac{B(B-1)}{2} x^{2}+\cdots=1-(A-B) x+\left[\frac{A(A-1)}{2}+\frac{B(B-1)}{2}-A B\right] x^{2}+\cdots. These will be the terms involving 1,x1, x and x2x^{2} in the final expansion of f(x)f(x). Since f(x)f(x) has a term 2x-2 x and no x2x^{2} term, then AB=2A-B=2 and A(A1)2+B(B1)2AB=0\frac{A(A-1)}{2}+\frac{B(B-1)}{2}-A B=0. The second equation becomes A2A+B2B2AB=0A^{2}-A+B^{2}-B-2 A B=0 or (AB)2=A+B(A-B)^{2}=A+B. Since AB=2A-B=2, then A+B=4A+B=4, whence 2A=(A+B)+(AB)=62 A=(A+B)+(A-B)=6, so A=3A=3 and B=1B=1. Thus, the first two factors are (1x)3(1+x)(1-x)^{3}(1+x). Note that (1x)3(1+x)=(13x+3x2x3)(1+x)=12x+2x3x4(1-x)^{3}(1+x)=\left(1-3 x+3 x^{2}-x^{3}\right)(1+x)=1-2 x+2 x^{3}-x^{4}. Therefore, f(x)=(12x+2x3x4)(1x3)C(1x4)D(1x5)E(1x6)Ff(x)=\left(1-2 x+2 x^{3}-x^{4}\right)\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{C}\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}. The final result contains no x3x^{3} term. Since the first factor contains a term '+2 x^{3}' which will appear in the final product by multiplying by all of the constant terms in subsequent factors, then this '+2 x^{3}' must be balanced by a '-2 x^{3}'. The only other factor possibly containing an x3x^{3} is (1x3)C\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{C}. To balance the '+2 x^{3}' term, the expansion of (1x3)C\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{C} must include a term '-2 x^{3}' which will be multiplied by the constant terms in the other factors to provide a '-2 x^{3}' in the final expansion, balancing the '+2 x^{3}'. For (1x3)C\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{C} to include 2x3-2 x^{3}, we must have C=2C=2, from ()(*). Therefore, f(x)=(12x+2x3x4)(1x3)2(1x4)D(1x5)E(1x6)F=(12x+2x3x4)(12x3+x6)(1x4)D(1x5)E(1x6)F=(12x+3x43x6+)(1x4)D(1x5)E(1x6)Ff(x)=\left(1-2 x+2 x^{3}-x^{4}\right)\left(1-x^{3}\right)^{2}\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+2 x^{3}-x^{4}\right)\left(1-2 x^{3}+x^{6}\right)\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+3 x^{4}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}. When we simplify at this stage, we can ignore any terms with exponent greater than 6, since we do not care about these terms and they do not affect terms with smaller exponents when we multiply out. To balance the '+3 x^{4}', the factor (1x4)D\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{D} needs to include '-3 x^{4}' and so D=3D=3. Therefore, f(x)=(12x+3x43x6+)(1x4)3(1x5)E(1x6)F=(12x+3x43x6+)(13x4+)(1x5)E(1x6)F=(12x+6x53x6+)(1x5)E(1x6)Ff(x)=\left(1-2 x+3 x^{4}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{4}\right)^{3}\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+3 x^{4}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-3 x^{4}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+6 x^{5}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}. To balance the '+6 x^{5}', the factor (1x5)E\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{E} needs to include '-6 x^{5}' and so E=6E=6. Therefore, f(x)=(12x+6x53x6+)(1x5)6(1x6)F=(12x+6x53x6+)(16x5+)(1x6)F=(12x+9x6+)(1x6)Ff(x)=\left(1-2 x+6 x^{5}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{5}\right)^{6}\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+6 x^{5}-3 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-6 x^{5}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}=\left(1-2 x+9 x^{6}+\cdots\right)\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F}. To balance the '+9 x^{6}', the factor (1x6)F\left(1-x^{6}\right)^{F} needs to include '-9 x^{6}' and so F=9F=9. We now know that A=3,B=1,C=2,D=3,E=6A=3, B=1, C=2, D=3, E=6, and F=9F=9. Since D=d,E=fD=d, E=f, and F=cF=c, then c=9,f=6c=9, f=6, and d=3d=3. Since C=ec,C=2C=e-c, C=2 and c=9c=9, then e=11e=11. Since A=adef,d=3,e=11,f=6A=a-d-e-f, d=3, e=11, f=6, and A=3A=3, then a=3+3+11+6a=3+3+11+6, or a=23a=23.

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