2012 AIME I Problem 9

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 9 of the 2012 AIME I, 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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Concepts:logarithmexponentsubstitution

Difficulty rating: 2650

9.

Let x,x, y,y, and zz be positive real numbers that satisfy 2logx(2y)=2log2x(4z)=log2x4(8yz)0.2\log_{x}(2y) = 2\log_{2x}(4z) = \log_{2x^4}(8yz) \ne 0. The value of xy5zxy^5z can be expressed in the form 12p/q,\frac{1}{2^{p/q}}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q.

Solution:

Write x=2a,x = 2^a, y=2b,y = 2^b, z=2c.z = 2^c. Then logx(2y)=b+1a,\log_x(2y) = \frac{b + 1}{a}, log2x(4z)=c+2a+1,\log_{2x}(4z) = \frac{c + 2}{a + 1}, and log2x4(8yz)=b+c+34a+1,\log_{2x^4}(8yz) = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1}, so the condition is 2(b+1)a=2(c+2)a+1=b+c+34a+10.\frac{2(b + 1)}{a} = \frac{2(c + 2)}{a + 1} = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1} \ne 0.

From the first two, b+1a=c+2a+1,\frac{b + 1}{a} = \frac{c + 2}{a + 1}, and equal ratios also equal their mediant b+c+32a+1.\frac{b + c + 3}{2a + 1}. Comparing with the third expression gives 2(b+c+3)2a+1=b+c+34a+1.\frac{2(b + c + 3)}{2a + 1} = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1}. The common value is nonzero, so b+c+30,b + c + 3 \ne 0, and thus 2(4a+1)=2a+1,2(4a + 1) = 2a + 1, giving a=16.a = -\frac{1}{6}. Then b+11/6=c+25/6\frac{b + 1}{-1/6} = \frac{c + 2}{5/6} yields c+2=5(b+1),c + 2 = -5(b + 1), that is, 5b+c=7.5b + c = -7.

Therefore xy5z=2a+5b+c=21/67=1243/6,xy^5z = 2^{a + 5b + c} = 2^{-1/6 - 7} = \frac{1}{2^{43/6}}, so p+q=43+6=49.p + q = 43 + 6 = 49.

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