2018 AIME I Problem 12

Attempt Problem 12 of the 2018 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 2018 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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12.

For each subset TT of U={1,2,3,,18},U = \{1, 2, 3, \ldots, 18\}, let s(T)s(T) be the sum of the elements of T,T, with s()s(\emptyset) defined to be 0.0. If TT is chosen at random among all subsets of U,U, the probability that s(T)s(T) is divisible by 33 is mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m.m.

Answer: 683
Concepts:subsetsmodular arithmeticcombinationsVandermonde’s Convolution
Difficulty rating: 3060
Solution:

The set UU contains six elements in each residue class modulo 3.3. If TT contains aa elements 1\equiv 1 and bb elements 2(mod3),\equiv 2 \pmod 3, then s(T)a+2bab(mod3),s(T) \equiv a + 2b \equiv a - b \pmod 3, so 3s(T)3 \mid s(T) exactly when ab(mod3);a \equiv b \pmod 3; the six multiples of 33 may be included freely, contributing a factor 262^6 to both the favorable and total counts.

By Vandermonde's identity, the number of ways to choose the aas and bbs with ab=0a - b = 0 is a(6a)2=(126)=924;\sum_a \binom{6}{a}^2 = \binom{12}{6} = 924; with ab=±3a - b = \pm 3 it is 2a(6a)(6a3)=2(129)=440;2\sum_a \binom{6}{a}\binom{6}{a - 3} = 2\binom{12}{9} = 440; and with ab=±6a - b = \pm 6 it is 2.2. The favorable choices number 924+440+2=1366924 + 440 + 2 = 1366 out of 212.2^{12}.

The probability is 13664096=6832048,\frac{1366}{4096} = \frac{683}{2048}, which is in lowest terms since 683683 is odd. Thus m=683.m = 683.

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