2009 AIME I Exam Solutions

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All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

1.

Call a 3-digit number geometric if it has 33 distinct digits which, when read from left to right, form a geometric sequence. Find the difference between the largest and smallest geometric numbers.

Concepts:geometric sequencedigitscasework

Difficulty rating: 1950

Solution:

Write the digits as a,a, ar,ar, ar2.ar^2. For the largest geometric number, take a=9.a = 9. An integer ratio at least 22 would push the next digit past 9,9, and r=1r = 1 repeats digits, so rr is a fraction whose denominator squares into 9:9: the choices r=23r = \frac{2}{3} and r=13r = \frac{1}{3} give 964964 and 931.931. The largest is 964.964.

For the smallest, take hundreds digit 1.1. Then the tens digit rr must be an integer at least 22 (the digits are distinct), and r=2r = 2 gives 124,124, which beats r=3r = 3's 139.139.

The difference is 964124=840.964 - 124 = 840.

2.

There is a complex number zz with imaginary part 164164 and a positive integer nn such that zz+n=4i.\frac{z}{z + n} = 4i. Find n.n.

Difficulty rating: 2060

Solution:

Write z=a+164i.z = a + 164i. Clearing the denominator gives z=4i(z+n),z = 4i(z + n), that is, a+164i=4i(a+n+164i)=656+4(a+n)i.a + 164i = 4i\,(a + n + 164i) = -656 + 4(a + n)i.

Real parts give a=656,a = -656, and imaginary parts give 164=4(a+n),164 = 4(a + n), so a+n=41a + n = 41 and n=41+656=697.n = 41 + 656 = 697.

3.

A coin that comes up heads with probability p>0p \gt 0 and tails with probability 1p>01 - p \gt 0 independently on each flip is flipped eight times. Suppose the probability of three heads and five tails is equal to 125\frac{1}{25} of the probability of five heads and three tails. Let p=mn,p = \frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Difficulty rating: 2150

Solution:

The condition says (83)p3(1p)5=125(85)p5(1p)3.\binom{8}{3} p^3 (1-p)^5 = \frac{1}{25} \binom{8}{5} p^5 (1-p)^3. Since (83)=(85)\binom{8}{3} = \binom{8}{5} and both pp and 1p1 - p are positive, dividing by p3(1p)3p^3(1-p)^3 leaves (1p)2=p225,(1-p)^2 = \frac{p^2}{25}, so 1p=p5.1 - p = \frac{p}{5}.

Hence p=56,p = \frac{5}{6}, and m+n=5+6=11.m + n = 5 + 6 = 11.

4.

In parallelogram ABCD,ABCD, point MM is on AB\overline{AB} so that AMAB=171000,\frac{AM}{AB} = \frac{17}{1000}, and point NN is on AD\overline{AD} so that ANAD=172009.\frac{AN}{AD} = \frac{17}{2009}. Let PP be the point of intersection of AC\overline{AC} and MN.\overline{MN}. Find ACAP.\frac{AC}{AP}.

Difficulty rating: 2400

Solution:

Place AA at the origin and let b=AB\mathbf{b} = \overrightarrow{AB} and d=AD,\mathbf{d} = \overrightarrow{AD}, so that C=b+d,C = \mathbf{b} + \mathbf{d}, M=171000b,M = \frac{17}{1000}\mathbf{b}, and N=172009d.N = \frac{17}{2009}\mathbf{d}. Since PP lies on AC,\overline{AC}, write P=s(b+d)P = s\,(\mathbf{b} + \mathbf{d}) where s=APAC;s = \frac{AP}{AC}; since PP also lies on line MN,MN, write P=tM+(1t)NP = tM + (1 - t)N for some t.t.

Because b\mathbf{b} and d\mathbf{d} are independent, the coefficients must agree: s=17t1000ands=17(1t)2009.s = \frac{17t}{1000} \qquad \text{and} \qquad s = \frac{17(1-t)}{2009}. Thus t=1000s17t = \frac{1000s}{17} and 1t=2009s17;1 - t = \frac{2009s}{17}; adding gives 1=3009s17.1 = \frac{3009s}{17}.

Therefore ACAP=1s=300917=177.\frac{AC}{AP} = \frac{1}{s} = \frac{3009}{17} = 177.

5.

Triangle ABCABC has AC=450AC = 450 and BC=300.BC = 300. Points KK and LL are located on AC\overline{AC} and AB\overline{AB} respectively so that AK=CK,AK = CK, and CL\overline{CL} is the angle bisector of angle C.C. Let PP be the point of intersection of BK\overline{BK} and CL,\overline{CL}, and let MM be the point on line BKBK for which KK is the midpoint of PM.\overline{PM}. If AM=180,AM = 180, find LP.LP.

Difficulty rating: 2510

Solution:

Because AK=CKAK = CK and KK is the midpoint of PM,\overline{PM}, the diagonals of quadrilateral APCMAPCM bisect each other, so APCMAPCM is a parallelogram and AMCP.AM \parallel CP. Since PP lies on line CLCL and B,B, P,P, MM all lie on line BK,BK, triangles BLPBLP and BAMBAM are similar.

Thus LPAM=BLBA.\frac{LP}{AM} = \frac{BL}{BA}. The angle bisector theorem gives ALLB=ACBC=450300=32,\frac{AL}{LB} = \frac{AC}{BC} = \frac{450}{300} = \frac{3}{2}, so BLBA=22+3=25.\frac{BL}{BA} = \frac{2}{2 + 3} = \frac{2}{5}.

Therefore LP=25AM=25180=72.LP = \frac{2}{5} \cdot AM = \frac{2}{5} \cdot 180 = 72.

6.

How many positive integers NN less than 10001000 are there such that the equation xx=Nx^{\lfloor x \rfloor} = N has a solution for x?x? (The notation x\lfloor x \rfloor denotes the greatest integer that is less than or equal to x.x.)

Solution:

Suppose x=k\lfloor x \rfloor = k for a positive integer k.k. As xx runs over [k,k+1),[k, k+1), the value xkx^k increases continuously from kkk^k toward (k+1)k,(k+1)^k, so the attainable integers NN are exactly those with kkN(k+1)k1:k^k \le N \le (k+1)^k - 1: there are (k+1)kkk(k+1)^k - k^k of them, and these ranges are disjoint for different k.k. (Values of xx below 11 produce no new positive integers, since x0=1x^0 = 1 is already attained.)

For k=1,2,3,4k = 1, 2, 3, 4 the counts are 21=1,2 - 1 = 1, 94=5,9 - 4 = 5, 6427=37,64 - 27 = 37, and 625256=369,625 - 256 = 369, and every such NN is at most 624<1000.624 \lt 1000. For k=5k = 5 the smallest value is 55=3125>1000.5^5 = 3125 \gt 1000.

The total is 1+5+37+369=412.1 + 5 + 37 + 369 = 412.

7.

The sequence (an)(a_n) satisfies a1=1a_1 = 1 and 5(an+1an)1=1n+235^{(a_{n+1} - a_n)} - 1 = \frac{1}{n + \frac{2}{3}} for n1.n \ge 1. Let kk be the least integer greater than 11 for which aka_k is an integer. Find k.k.

Difficulty rating: 2450

Solution:

The relation says 5an+1an=1+33n+2=3n+53n+2.5^{a_{n+1} - a_n} = 1 + \frac{3}{3n + 2} = \frac{3n+5}{3n+2}. Multiplying these equations for n=1,2,,k1n = 1, 2, \ldots, k - 1 telescopes: 5aka1=3k+25,soak=1+log53k+25=log5(3k+2).5^{a_k - a_1} = \frac{3k + 2}{5}, \qquad \text{so} \qquad a_k = 1 + \log_5 \frac{3k+2}{5} = \log_5 (3k + 2).

Thus aka_k is an integer exactly when 3k+23k + 2 is a power of 5.5. Since 5j2j(mod3),5^j \equiv 2^j \pmod 3, only odd exponents jj give numbers of the form 3k+2.3k + 2. The power 51=55^1 = 5 gives k=1,k = 1, which is excluded, and the next, 53=125=341+2,5^3 = 125 = 3 \cdot 41 + 2, gives k=41.k = 41.

8.

Let S={20,21,22,,210}.S = \{2^0, 2^1, 2^2, \ldots, 2^{10}\}. Consider all possible positive differences of pairs of elements of S.S. Let NN be the sum of all of these differences. Find the remainder when NN is divided by 1000.1000.

Difficulty rating: 2560

Solution:

In the sum of all positive differences, the element 2k2^k is added once for each smaller element (kk times) and subtracted once for each larger element (10k10 - k times). Hence N=k=010(2k10)2k=2k=010k2k10k=0102k.N = \sum_{k=0}^{10} (2k - 10)\,2^k = 2\sum_{k=0}^{10} k\,2^k - 10\sum_{k=0}^{10} 2^k.

The standard sums are k=010k2k=9211+2=18434\sum_{k=0}^{10} k\,2^k = 9 \cdot 2^{11} + 2 = 18434 and k=0102k=2111=2047,\sum_{k=0}^{10} 2^k = 2^{11} - 1 = 2047, so N=218434102047=3686820470=16398.N = 2 \cdot 18434 - 10 \cdot 2047 = 36868 - 20470 = 16398.

The remainder upon division by 10001000 is 398.398.

9.

A game show offers a contestant three prizes A, B and C, each of which is worth a whole number of dollars from $1\$1 to $9999\$9999 inclusive. The contestant wins the prizes by correctly guessing the price of each prize in the order A, B, C. As a hint, the digits of the three prices are given. On a particular day, the digits given were 1,1,1,1,3,3,3.1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3. Find the total number of possible guesses for all three prizes consistent with the hint.

Solution:

Concatenating the three guessed prices in order produces an arrangement of the seven given digits, and each guess is recovered uniquely from an arrangement together with a way to cut it into three consecutive nonempty blocks of at most four digits each (prices run from $1\$1 to $9999,\$9999, and no price can start with 00 here since every digit is 11 or 33). There are 7!4!3!=35\frac{7!}{4!\,3!} = 35 arrangements of four 11s and three 33s.

The ordered block lengths are the ways to write 77 as an ordered sum of three parts between 11 and 4:4: the permutations of (1,2,4),(1, 2, 4), (2,2,3),(2, 2, 3), and (1,3,3),(1, 3, 3), giving 6+3+3=126 + 3 + 3 = 12 cuts for each arrangement.

The total is 3512=420.35 \cdot 12 = 420.

10.

The Annual Interplanetary Mathematics Examination (AIME) is written by a committee of five Martians, five Venusians, and five Earthlings. At meetings, committee members sit at a round table with chairs numbered from 11 to 1515 in clockwise order. Committee rules state that a Martian must occupy chair 11 and an Earthling must occupy chair 15.15. Furthermore, no Earthling can sit immediately to the left of a Martian, no Martian can sit immediately to the left of a Venusian, and no Venusian can sit immediately to the left of an Earthling. The number of possible seating arrangements for the committee is N(5!)3.N \cdot (5!)^3. Find N.N.

Solution:

First choose which planet sits in each chair; the individuals from each planet can then be assigned to their chairs in 5!5! ways apiece, so NN counts the planet patterns. The adjacency rules say exactly that, reading clockwise, each maximal block of Martians must be followed by a block of Venusians and then a block of Earthlings before Martians can appear again. Since chair 11 holds a Martian and chair 1515 holds an Earthling, the chairs from 11 to 1515 consist of the pattern (Martian block, Venusian block, Earthling block) repeated kk times, for some 1k5.1 \le k \le 5.

For a given k,k, each planet's five members are distributed into kk nonempty blocks in order, and the number of ways to write 55 as an ordered sum of kk positive integers is (4k1).\binom{4}{k-1}. The three planets' block sizes are independent, so N=k=15(4k1)3=13+43+63+43+13=346.N = \sum_{k=1}^{5} \binom{4}{k-1}^3 = 1^3 + 4^3 + 6^3 + 4^3 + 1^3 = 346.

11.

Consider the set of all triangles OPQOPQ where OO is the origin and PP and QQ are distinct points in the plane with nonnegative integer coordinates (x,y)(x, y) such that 41x+y=2009.41x + y = 2009. Find the number of such distinct triangles whose area is a positive integer.

Difficulty rating: 2840

Solution:

The points on the line with nonnegative integer coordinates are Pi=(i,200941i)P_i = (i,\, 2009 - 41i) for i=0,1,,49i = 0, 1, \ldots, 49 — fifty points in all. For P=PiP = P_i and Q=Pj,Q = P_j, the shoelace formula gives [OPQ]=12i(200941j)j(200941i)=20092ij.[OPQ] = \frac{1}{2}\left|\,i(2009 - 41j) - j(2009 - 41i)\,\right| = \frac{2009}{2}\,|i - j|.

This is automatically positive for distinct points, and since 20092009 is odd, it is an integer exactly when iji - j is even, that is, when ii and jj have the same parity. There are 2525 even and 2525 odd indices, so the number of triangles is (252)+(252)=300+300=600.\binom{25}{2} + \binom{25}{2} = 300 + 300 = 600.

12.

In right ABC\triangle ABC with hypotenuse AB,\overline{AB}, AC=12,AC = 12, BC=35,BC = 35, and CD\overline{CD} is the altitude to AB.\overline{AB}. Let ω\omega be the circle having CD\overline{CD} as a diameter. Let II be a point outside ABC\triangle ABC such that AI\overline{AI} and BI\overline{BI} are both tangent to circle ω.\omega. The ratio of the perimeter of ABI\triangle ABI to the length ABAB can be expressed in the form mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Because CDAB\overline{CD} \perp \overline{AB} and DD is an endpoint of the diameter, ABAB is tangent to ω\omega at D.D. Together with the tangent lines AIAI and BI,BI, this makes ω\omega the inscribed circle of triangle ABI.ABI. Write AD=y,AD = y, BD=z,BD = z, and let xx be the tangent length from I.I. The right-triangle altitude satisfies CD2=ADBD,CD^2 = AD \cdot BD, so the inradius of ABIABI is r=12yz.r = \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{yz}.

With semiperimeter s=x+y+z,s = x + y + z, the tangent lengths are exactly sAB=x,s - AB = x, sBI=y,s - BI = y, and sAI=z,s - AI = z, so the area of ABIABI equals both rsrs and, by Heron's formula, sxyz.\sqrt{s \cdot xyz}. Equating and squaring, s2yz4=sxyz,sos=4x,\frac{s^2\,yz}{4} = s\,xyz, \qquad \text{so} \qquad s = 4x, which gives AB=y+z=sx=3x.AB = y + z = s - x = 3x.

The perimeter is 2s=8x,2s = 8x, so its ratio to ABAB is 8x3x=83\frac{8x}{3x} = \frac{8}{3} (independent of the given legs), and m+n=8+3=11.m + n = 8 + 3 = 11.

13.

The terms of the sequence (ai)(a_i) defined by an+2=an+20091+an+1a_{n+2} = \frac{a_n + 2009}{1 + a_{n+1}} for n1n \ge 1 are positive integers. Find the minimum possible value of a1+a2.a_1 + a_2.

Difficulty rating: 3060

Solution:

Clearing denominators, an+2(1+an+1)=an+2009a_{n+2}(1 + a_{n+1}) = a_n + 2009 for all n1.n \ge 1. Subtracting each instance from the next gives an+2an=(an+2+1)(an+3an+1).a_{n+2} - a_n = (a_{n+2} + 1)(a_{n+3} - a_{n+1}).

If some difference an+2ana_{n+2} - a_n were nonzero, then every later difference would be nonzero as well, and since each an+2+12,a_{n+2} + 1 \ge 2, the identity would force a3a1>a4a2>a5a3>,|a_3 - a_1| \gt |a_4 - a_2| \gt |a_5 - a_3| \gt \cdots, an infinite strictly decreasing sequence of positive integers — impossible. Hence an+2=ana_{n+2} = a_n for all n:n: the odd-indexed terms are all equal and the even-indexed terms are all equal, and any such choice of positive integers works.

The recursion then reads a1(1+a2)=a1+2009,a_1(1 + a_2) = a_1 + 2009, so a1a2=2009=7241.a_1 a_2 = 2009 = 7^2 \cdot 41. Among the factor pairs of 2009,2009, the sum is smallest for 4149,41 \cdot 49, giving 41+49=90.41 + 49 = 90.

14.

For t=1,2,3,4,t = 1, 2, 3, 4, define St=i=1350ait,S_t = \sum_{i=1}^{350} a_i^t, where ai{1,2,3,4}.a_i \in \{1, 2, 3, 4\}. If S1=513S_1 = 513 and S4=4745,S_4 = 4745, find the minimum possible value for S2.S_2.

Solution:

For j=1,2,3,4,j = 1, 2, 3, 4, let mjm_j be the number of aia_i equal to j.j. Then m1+m2+m3+m4=350,m1+2m2+3m3+4m4=513,m1+16m2+81m3+256m4=4745.m_1 + m_2 + m_3 + m_4 = 350, \quad m_1 + 2m_2 + 3m_3 + 4m_4 = 513, \quad m_1 + 16m_2 + 81m_3 + 256m_4 = 4745.

Subtracting the first equation from the other two gives m2+2m3+3m4=163m_2 + 2m_3 + 3m_4 = 163 and 15m2+80m3+255m4=4395;15m_2 + 80m_3 + 255m_4 = 4395; subtracting 1515 times the former from the latter leaves 50m3+210m4=1950,50m_3 + 210m_4 = 1950, that is, 5m3+21m4=195.5m_3 + 21m_4 = 195. Hence m4m_4 is a nonnegative multiple of 5,5, and only m4=0m_4 = 0 and m4=5m_4 = 5 keep everything nonnegative, giving (m1,m2,m3,m4)=(226,85,39,0)(m_1, m_2, m_3, m_4) = (226, 85, 39, 0) or (215,112,18,5).(215, 112, 18, 5).

These yield S2=m1+4m2+9m3+16m4=917S_2 = m_1 + 4m_2 + 9m_3 + 16m_4 = 917 and 905905 respectively, so the minimum is 905.905.

15.

In triangle ABC,ABC, AB=10,AB = 10, BC=14,BC = 14, and CA=16.CA = 16. Let DD be a point in the interior of BC.\overline{BC}. Let IBI_B and ICI_C denote the incenters of triangles ABDABD and ACD,ACD, respectively. The circumcircles of triangles BIBDBI_BD and CICDCI_CD meet at distinct points PP and D.D. The maximum possible area of BPC\triangle BPC can be expressed in the form abc,a - b\sqrt{c}, where a,a, b,b, and cc are positive integers and cc is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a+b+c.a + b + c.

Solution:

In triangle ABDABD the incenter satisfies BIBD=90+BAD2,\angle B I_B D = 90^\circ + \frac{\angle BAD}{2}, and likewise CICD=90+DAC2,\angle C I_C D = 90^\circ + \frac{\angle DAC}{2}, so these two angles sum to 180+BAC2.180^\circ + \frac{\angle BAC}{2}. The law of cosines gives cosBAC=102+16214221016=12,\cos \angle BAC = \frac{10^2 + 16^2 - 14^2}{2 \cdot 10 \cdot 16} = \frac{1}{2}, so BAC=60\angle BAC = 60^\circ and the sum is 210.210^\circ.

The second intersection point PP lies on the opposite side of BC\overline{BC} from the incenters (were it on the same side, the two cyclic quadrilaterals would force BPC=210>180\angle BPC = 210^\circ \gt 180^\circ). Then BIBDPBI_BDP and CICDPCI_CDP are convex cyclic quadrilaterals, so BPC=BPD+DPC=(180BIBD)+(180CICD)=360210=150,\angle BPC = \angle BPD + \angle DPC = \left(180^\circ - \angle BI_BD\right) + \left(180^\circ - \angle CI_CD\right) = 360^\circ - 210^\circ = 150^\circ, independent of D.D. Hence PP moves along a fixed circular arc through BB and C.C.

The area of triangle BPCBPC is maximized at the midpoint of the arc, where BP=PC=x.BP = PC = x. The law of cosines gives 142=2x2+3x2,14^2 = 2x^2 + \sqrt{3}\,x^2, so x2=1962+3=196(23),x^2 = \frac{196}{2 + \sqrt{3}} = 196\left(2 - \sqrt{3}\right), and the area is 12x2sin150=49(23)=98493.\frac{1}{2}x^2 \sin 150^\circ = 49\left(2 - \sqrt{3}\right) = 98 - 49\sqrt{3}. Thus a+b+c=98+49+3=150.a + b + c = 98 + 49 + 3 = 150.