2012 AIME I Problem 6

Attempt Problem 6 of the 2012 AIME I 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 2012 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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6.

The complex numbers zz and ww satisfy z13=w,z^{13} = w, w11=z,w^{11} = z, and the imaginary part of zz is sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) for relatively prime positive integers mm and nn with m<n.m \lt n. Find n.n.

Answer: 71
Concepts:roots of unitycomplex number
Difficulty rating: 2300
Small Hint:

Substituting one equation into the other gives z143=z,z^{143} = z, so zz is a 142142nd root of unity

Big Hint:

Write z=cos2kπ142+isin2kπ142z = \cos\frac{2k\pi}{142} + i\sin\frac{2k\pi}{142} and reduce the fraction in the angle to lowest terms

Solution:

Because 0<m<n,0 \lt m \lt n, the specified imaginary part is positive, so z0.z \ne 0. Substituting, z=w11=(z13)11=z143,z = w^{11} = (z^{13})^{11} = z^{143}, and hence z142=1.z^{142} = 1. Conversely, any 142142nd root of unity zz works with w=z13,w = z^{13}, since then w11=z143=z.w^{11} = z^{143} = z.

Hence z=cos2kπ142+isin2kπ142z = \cos\frac{2k\pi}{142} + i\sin\frac{2k\pi}{142} for some integer k,k, and the imaginary part of zz is sinkπ71.\sin\frac{k\pi}{71}. The sine specified in the problem is positive, so we may take 1k70.1 \le k \le 70. Since 7171 is prime, k71\frac{k}{71} is already in lowest terms, matching the required form sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) with m<n.m \lt n. Thus n=71.n = 71.

Problem 5#5
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