2008 AIME I Problem 8

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Concepts:trigonometrytrigonometric identity

Difficulty rating: 2360

8.

Find the positive integer nn such that arctan13+arctan14+arctan15+arctan1n=π4.\arctan\frac{1}{3} + \arctan\frac{1}{4} + \arctan\frac{1}{5} + \arctan\frac{1}{n} = \frac{\pi}{4}.

Solution:

For positive x,yx, y with xy<1,xy \lt 1, the tangent addition formula gives arctanx+arctany=arctanx+y1xy.\arctan x + \arctan y = \arctan\frac{x + y}{1 - xy}. Applying it twice: arctan13+arctan14=arctan13+141112=arctan711,arctan711+arctan15=arctan711+151755=arctan2324.\arctan\frac{1}{3} + \arctan\frac{1}{4} = \arctan\frac{\frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{4}}{1 - \frac{1}{12}} = \arctan\frac{7}{11}, \qquad \arctan\frac{7}{11} + \arctan\frac{1}{5} = \arctan\frac{\frac{7}{11} + \frac{1}{5}}{1 - \frac{7}{55}} = \arctan\frac{23}{24}.

The equation becomes arctan2324+arctan1n=arctan1,\arctan\frac{23}{24} + \arctan\frac{1}{n} = \arctan 1, so 23/24+1/n123/(24n)=1.\frac{23/24 + 1/n}{1 - 23/(24n)} = 1. Clearing denominators, 23n+24=24n23,23n + 24 = 24n - 23, giving n=47.n = 47.

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