2014 AIME I Problem 7

Attempt Problem 7 of the 2014 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 2014 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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7.

Let ww and zz be complex numbers such that ∣w∣=1|w| = 1 and ∣z∣=10.|z| = 10. Let θ=arg⁡(w−zz).\theta = \arg\left(\tfrac{w-z}{z}\right). The maximum possible value of tan⁡2θ\tan^2 \theta can be written as pq,\frac{p}{q}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q. (Note that arg⁡(w),\arg(w), for w≠0,w \ne 0, denotes the measure of the angle that the ray from 00 to ww makes with the positive real axis in the complex plane.)

Answer: 100
Concepts:complex numbercircletangent lineoptimization
Difficulty rating: 2560
Small Hint:

w−zz=wz−1\frac{w-z}{z} = \frac{w}{z} - 1 lies on the circle of radius 110\frac{1}{10} centered at −1-1

Big Hint:

The argument is extremal when the ray from the origin is tangent to that circle, so the sine of the angle with the real axis is 110\frac{1}{10}

Solution:

Since w−zz=wz−1,\frac{w-z}{z} = \frac{w}{z} - 1, and wz\frac{w}{z} can be any complex number of modulus 110,\frac{1}{10}, the point ζ=w−zz\zeta = \frac{w-z}{z} ranges over the circle of radius 110\frac{1}{10} centered at −1.-1.

Because tan⁡2θ\tan^2\theta is unchanged when θ\theta shifts by 180∘,180^\circ, we want the largest angle α\alpha that a ray from the origin to this circle makes with the real axis. The extreme rays are tangent to the circle, where sin⁡α=1101=110.\sin \alpha = \frac{\frac{1}{10}}{1} = \frac{1}{10}.

Then tan⁡2θ=sin⁡2α1−sin⁡2α=110099100=199, \begin{aligned} \tan^2\theta &= \frac{\sin^2\alpha}{1 - \sin^2\alpha} = \frac{\frac{1}{100}}{\frac{99}{100}} \\ &= \frac{1}{99}, \end{aligned} so p+q=1+99=100.p + q = 1 + 99 = 100.

Problem 6#6
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