1991 AIME Problem 4
Attempt Problem 4 of the 1991 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 1991 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.
All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
4.
How many real numbers satisfy the equation
Answer: 159
Small Hint:
The bound restricts to a finite interval
Big Hint:
Separate the positive and negative half-waves of the sine function and count two crossings on each eligible full half-wave
Solution:
Let Any root lies in
For a root can occur only on a negative half-wave of the sine. There are two such half-waves, and On each, is positive at both endpoints and negative at the midpoint, so there are two roots. Uniqueness on the descending half follows from monotonicity; on the ascending half, so increases from a negative value at the midpoint and vanishes once. The function therefore first decreases and then increases from a negative midpoint value to a positive endpoint value, giving exactly one root on this half. Thus there are roots below
Also is a root. For roots can occur only on positive half-waves with There are of these. The value of is negative at each endpoint and positive at the midpoint. The right half is strictly decreasing. On the left half, so is strictly concave. It is positive at the left endpoint and negative at the midpoint, so it changes sign exactly once. Consequently, rises to one maximum and then falls to a still-positive midpoint, giving exactly one crossing on the left half. Hence every such half-wave contributes exactly two roots. Therefore the total number is
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