Maths Olympiad Prep

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Problem 564

AMC 10/12, early questions
Algebra Difficulty 3.7 Find the answer CEMC Fermat · Canada · 2020

When (3+2x+x2)(1+mx+m2x2)(3+2x+x^2)(1+mx+m^2x^2) is expanded and fully simplified, the coefficient of x2x^2 is equal to 1. What is the sum of all possible values of mm?

43-\frac{4}{3}
23-\frac{2}{3}
00
23\frac{2}{3}
43\frac{4}{3}

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

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Official solution

When (3+2x+x2)(1+mx+m2x2)(3+2x+x^2)(1+mx+m^2x^2) is expanded, the terms that include an x2x^2 will come from multiplying a constant with a term that includes x2x^2 or multiplying two terms that includes xx.
In other words, the term that includes x2x^2 will be 3m2x2+2xmx+x21=3m2x2+2mx2+x2=(3m2+2m+1)x23 \cdot m^2x^2 + 2x \cdot mx + x^2 \cdot 1 = 3m^2x^2 + 2mx^2 + x^2 = (3m^2+2m+1)x^2 From the condition that the coefficient of this term equals 1, we see that 3m2+2m+1=13m^2+2m+1=1 which gives 3m2+2m=03m^2+2m=0 or m(3m+2)=0m(3m+2) = 0, which means that m=0m=0 or m=23m = -\frac{2}{3}.
The sum of these possible values of mm is 23-\frac{2}{3}.

Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.