2014 AIME I Problem 14

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 14 of the 2014 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2014 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:rational equationsubstitutionsymmetry (algebra)

Difficulty rating: 3060

14.

Let mm be the largest real solution to the equation 3x3+5x5+17x17+19x19=x211x4.\frac{3}{x-3} + \frac{5}{x-5} + \frac{17}{x-17} + \frac{19}{x-19} = x^2 - 11x - 4. There are positive integers a,a, b,b, and cc such that m=a+b+c.m = a + \sqrt{b + \sqrt{c}}. Find a+b+c.a + b + c.

Solution:

Add 44 to both sides, giving one unit to each fraction: since kxk+1=xxk,\frac{k}{x-k} + 1 = \frac{x}{x-k}, the equation becomes x(1x3+1x5+1x17+1x19)=x211x=x(x11).x\left(\frac{1}{x-3} + \frac{1}{x-5} + \frac{1}{x-17} + \frac{1}{x-19}\right) = x^2 - 11x = x(x - 11). Besides x=0,x = 0, we can divide by xx and substitute t=x11,t = x - 11, which pairs the fractions symmetrically: 2tt264+2tt236=t.\frac{2t}{t^2 - 64} + \frac{2t}{t^2 - 36} = t.

Besides t=0,t = 0, dividing by tt gives 2t264+2t236=1.\frac{2}{t^2 - 64} + \frac{2}{t^2 - 36} = 1. With u=t2,u = t^2, clearing denominators gives 2(u36)+2(u64)=(u36)(u64),2(u - 36) + 2(u - 64) = (u - 36)(u - 64), i.e. u2104u+2504=0,u^2 - 104u + 2504 = 0, so u=52±200.u = 52 \pm \sqrt{200}.

The largest solution is m=11+52+20019.1,m = 11 + \sqrt{52 + \sqrt{200}} \approx 19.1, which exceeds the other candidates 0,0, 11,11, and 11±52±200.11 \pm \sqrt{52 \pm \sqrt{200}}. Therefore a+b+c=11+52+200=263.a + b + c = 11 + 52 + 200 = 263.

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