1984 AIME Problem 13

Attempt Problem 13 of the 1984 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1984 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

13.

Find the value of 10cot(cot13+cot17+cot113+cot121). \begin{aligned} 10\cot\bigl(&\cot^{-1}3+\cot^{-1}7\\ &{}+\cot^{-1}13+\cot^{-1}21\bigr). \end{aligned}

Answer: 15
Concepts:trigonometric identityalgebraic manipulation
Difficulty rating: 2280
Small Hint:

Use cot(α+β)=cotαcotβ1cotα+cotβ\cot(\alpha+\beta)=\frac{\cot\alpha\cot\beta-1}{\cot\alpha+\cot\beta}

Big Hint:

Combine the four inverse-cotangent angles two at a time from left to right

Solution:

Let α=cot13+cot17.\alpha=\cot^{-1}3+\cot^{-1}7. The cotangent addition formula gives cotα=3713+7=2. \begin{aligned} \cot\alpha&=\frac{3\cdot7-1}{3+7}\\ &=2. \end{aligned} Combining the next angle gives 21312+13=53, \frac{2\cdot13-1}{2+13}=\frac53, and combining the last gives (53)21153+21=32. \frac{(\frac{5}{3})\cdot21-1}{\frac{5}{3}+21}=\frac32. Multiplying by 1010 yields 15.15.

← Problem 12#12
Full Exam

Problem 13 in Other Years