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.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

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
Small hint:
Each residue class modulo 33 contains exactly six elements of U,U, and only the numbers of chosen elements ≡1\equiv 1 and ≡2\equiv 2 matter
Big hint:
With aa chosen elements ≡1\equiv 1 and bb elements ≡2,\equiv 2, you need a≡b(mod3);a \equiv b \pmod 3; evaluate ∑(6a)(6b)\sum \binom{6}{a}\binom{6}{b} using Vandermonde’s identity
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+2b≡a−b(mod3),s(T) \equiv a + 2b \equiv a - b \pmod 3, so s(T)s(T) is divisible by 33 exactly when a≡b(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 a−b=0a - b = 0 is ∑a(6a)2=(126)=924;\sum_a \binom{6}{a}^2 = \binom{12}{6} = 924; with a−b=±3a - b = \pm 3 it is 2∑a(6a)(6a−3)=2(129)=440;2\sum_a \binom{6}{a}\binom{6}{a - 3} = 2\binom{12}{9} = 440; and with a−b=±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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