2000 AIME II Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 2000 AIME II 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 2000 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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15.

Find the least positive integer nn such that 1sin⁡45∘sin⁡46∘+1sin⁡47∘sin⁡48∘+⋯+1sin⁡133∘sin⁡134∘=1sin⁡n∘. \begin{aligned} &\frac{1}{\sin 45^\circ \sin 46^\circ} + \frac{1}{\sin 47^\circ \sin 48^\circ} \\ &\quad {}+ \cdots + \frac{1}{\sin 133^\circ \sin 134^\circ} \\ &= \frac{1}{\sin n^\circ}. \end{aligned}

Answer: 1
Concepts:trigonometric identitytelescoping
Difficulty rating: 3060
Small Hint:

Write sin⁡1∘=sin⁡((k+1)∘−k∘)\sin 1^\circ = \sin\big((k+1)^\circ - k^\circ\big) to show 1sin⁡k∘sin⁡(k+1)∘=cot⁡k∘−cot⁡(k+1)∘sin⁡1∘\frac{1}{\sin k^\circ \sin(k+1)^\circ} = \frac{\cot k^\circ - \cot(k+1)^\circ}{\sin 1^\circ}

Big Hint:

Use cot⁡(180∘−x)=−cot⁡x:\cot(180^\circ - x) = -\cot x: the cotangents at supplementary arguments cancel in pairs, leaving only the 45∘45^\circ term

Solution:

Since sin⁡1∘=sin⁡((k+1)∘−k∘)\sin 1^\circ = \sin\big((k+1)^\circ - k^\circ\big) =sin⁡(k+1)∘cos⁡k∘= \sin(k+1)^\circ \cos k^\circ −cos⁡(k+1)∘sin⁡k∘,- \cos(k+1)^\circ \sin k^\circ, dividing by sin⁡k∘sin⁡(k+1)∘\sin k^\circ \sin(k+1)^\circ gives 1sin⁡k∘sin⁡(k+1)∘=cot⁡k∘−cot⁡(k+1)∘sin⁡1∘. \begin{aligned} &\small \frac{1}{\sin k^\circ \sin(k+1)^\circ} \\ &\scriptsize = \frac{\cot k^\circ - \cot(k+1)^\circ}{\sin 1^\circ}. \end{aligned} So the sum times sin⁡1∘\sin 1^\circ equals cot⁡45∘−cot⁡46∘+cot⁡47∘\cot 45^\circ - \cot 46^\circ + \cot 47^\circ −cot⁡48∘- \cot 48^\circ +⋯+cot⁡133∘−cot⁡134∘,+ \cdots + \cot 133^\circ - \cot 134^\circ, with ++ signs on odd arguments and −- signs on even arguments.

Because cot⁡(180∘−x)=−cot⁡x\cot(180^\circ - x) = -\cot x and supplementary arguments here have the same parity, the terms cancel in supplementary pairs: +cot⁡133∘+\cot 133^\circ cancels +cot⁡47∘,+\cot 47^\circ, −cot⁡134∘-\cot 134^\circ cancels −cot⁡46∘,-\cot 46^\circ, and so on for every pair of arguments summing to 180∘.180^\circ. The only survivors are cot⁡45∘=1\cot 45^\circ = 1 (its partner 135∘135^\circ is out of range) and −cot⁡90∘=0.-\cot 90^\circ = 0.

Hence the sum equals cot⁡45∘sin⁡1∘=1sin⁡1∘,\frac{\cot 45^\circ}{\sin 1^\circ} = \frac{1}{\sin 1^\circ}, so the least such nn is 1.1.

Problem 14#14
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