2015 AIME I Problem 10

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10.

Let f(x)f(x) be a third-degree polynomial with real coefficients satisfying f(1)=f(2)=f(3)=f(5)=f(6)=f(7)=12. \begin{aligned} |f(1)| = |f(2)| &= |f(3)| \\ &= |f(5)| = |f(6)| \\ &= |f(7)| = 12. \end{aligned} Find f(0).|f(0)|.

Answer: 72
Concepts:polynomialVieta’s Formulassystem of equations
Difficulty rating: 2930
Solution:

Each of f(x)12f(x) - 12 and f(x)+12f(x) + 12 is a cubic, so each vanishes at exactly three of 1,2,3,5,6,7.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7. Writing them as c(xr1)(xr2)(xr3)c(x - r_1)(x - r_2)(x - r_3) and c(xs1)(xs2)(xs3),c(x - s_1)(x - s_2)(x - s_3), the two cubics differ by the constant 24,24, so their x2x^2 and xx coefficients agree: the root triples have equal sums and equal sums of pairwise products. The only partition of {1,2,3,5,6,7}\{1,2,3,5,6,7\} into two triples of equal sum is {2,3,7}\{2,3,7\} and {1,5,6}\{1,5,6\} (each summing to 1212), and indeed both have pairwise-product sum 41.41.

Replacing ff by f-f if necessary (which does not change f(0)|f(0)|), we have f(x)=c(x2)(x3)(x7)f(x) = c(x-2)(x-3)(x-7) +12+ 12 =c(x1)(x5)(x6)12.= c(x-1)(x-5)(x-6) - 12. Setting x=0x = 0 gives 42c+12=30c12,-42c + 12 = -30c - 12, so c=2c = 2 and f(0)=422+12=72.f(0) = -42 \cdot 2 + 12 = -72. Thus f(0)=72.|f(0)| = 72.

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